A  CASTLE  TO  LET 

N  RS.  BAILLIE  REYNOLDS 


BNIV.  OP  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  A1WHLE9 


A  Castle  To  Let 


By  MRS.  BAILLIE  REYNOLDS 


AUTHOR  OF 

"The  Daughter  Pays,"     "The  Lonely  Stronghold" 
"The  Kingt  Widow,"  etc. 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY 
Publishers  New  York 

Published  by  arrangement   with   GBOKGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1917, 
BY   GBOHGE  H.   DORAN    COMPAXY 


HUNTHD  m  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AKBBICA 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  HBK  OWN  MISTRESS 9 

II  A  CHANGE  OF  PLAN 20 

III  NEVILLE  MAKES  A  MISTAKE 33 

IV  THE  MEDIEVAL  CITY 41 

V  A  CASTLE  TO  LET 53 

VI  ESLER  MAKES  A  BANG 62 

VII  THE  OVERLORD  OP  YNDAIA 72 

VIII  THE  MOUNTAIN  TRAGEDY 85 

EX  TAKING  POSSESSION 92 

X  "CHILDE  ROLAND  TO  THE  DARK  TOWER  CAME"    .     .  101 

XI  THE  GARDEN  CAVB Ill 

XII  THE  QUEST  OF  MRS.  COOPER 124 

XIII  CONRAD'S  EXPLOIT 135 

XIV  TOKENS  m  THE  SAND 147 

XV  THE  BARON'S  HINT,  AND  A  DREAM 157 

XVI  GAURA  DRACULUJ 168 

XVII  THE  CROSS  ON  THE  SUMMIT 179 

XVIII  A  PROJECTED  ALLIANCE 193 

XIX  THE  PROPHECY  OF  EPHROSINE 206 

XX  THE  MIDNIGHT  ERRAND 216 

XXI  BETTY'S  ACCIDENT 230 

XXII  THE  MYSTERIOUS  CRY 240 

XXIII  Tune  BLACK  DRAGON 251 

XXIV  ESLRB  Houw  Our  .  265 


2132396 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXV  RED  BROCADE 279 

XXVI  THE  MIDNIGHT  BAPTISM 291 

XXVII  THE  WILD  SWANS .  .  '_ .  .  302 

XXVIII  THE  SECRET  INTERVIEW *" .  .  310 

XXIX  GRAVE  SUSPICIONS .  .".  .  320 

XXX  THE  DRAGON  SLATER _.....  328 

XXXI  COMING  HOME  .  342 


A  CASTLE  TO  LET 


A  CASTLE  TO  LET 


CHAPTER  I 

HER   OWN    MISTBESS 

SOUTH  KENSINGTON  may  perhaps  be  described  as  pre- 
eminently the  home  of  the  British  domesticities.  All  that 
most  indicates  the  rectitude,  the  stability,  the  refinement 
of  English  family  life  at  its  best  flourishes  here,  where 
we  have  neither  the  oppressive  wealth  of  Belgravia  nor 
the  mediocrity  of  the  suburbs. 

Had  you  opened  the  street  door  of  Number  3  Truro 
Gardens,  one  evening  in  the  late  June  of  the  year  before 
the  war,  you  would  have  been  greeted  by  that  mingled 
odour  of  clear  soup,  green  peas,  hot  fruit,  and  stuffing, 
which  indicates  that  a  dinner-party  is  in  progress. 

The  hall  qf  the  house  was  spacious,  as  halls  in  London 
go.  It  was  tiled  with  coloured  encaustics,  and  dadoed 
with  some  kind  of  papier  mache  which,  when  painted 
dark  brown/  was  supposed  to  resemble  oak  panelling. 
Above  this,  the  wallpaper  was  of  a  rather  violent  shade 
of  what  used  to  be  called  peacock  blue. 

Engravings  after  Alma  Tadema,  Sant,  and  even  Edwin 
Long  loudly  gave  out  the  date  at  which  this  hall  had 
been  furnished. 

Men-servants  and  maid-servants  were  scurrying  to  and 
fro,  and  from  the  dining-room  came  a  subdued  hum  of 
decorous  talk  and  properly  moderated  laughter. 

The  iced  pudding  had  just  been  carried  out,  and  the 
butler  was  entrusting  to  a  colleague,  hired  for  the  occa- 

9 


10  ACASTLETOLET 

sion,  a  dish  of  tempting  prawn  savouries — with  a  face 
imbued  with  the  solemnity  befitting  such  an  important 
festival.  He  himself  excelled  as  an  entertainer,  and  he 
was  looking  forward  to  the  moment,  an  hour  later,  when 
he  would  take  his  place  at  the  table  in  the  servants'  hall 
and  press  some  of  his  young  mistress's  champagne  upon 
the  hired  waiter's  willing  acceptance.  Forbes  looked  for- 
ward to  a  series  of  such  dinners  as  the  present  one — with 
perhaps  a  somewhat  gayer  company,  for  choice,  than  the 
one  now  assembled — in  the  future,  which  stretched  before 
Jjim  in  rosy  colours,  since  his  young  mistress  was  cele- 
brating iieT  WJfflllliJ  of  age  to-night. 

She  sat  at  the  head  of  her  table  in  a  dining-room  which 
was  an  echo  of  the  hall.  The  sideboard  had  been  bought 
in  the  Tottenham  Court  Road  thirty  years  previously, 
and  was  of  walnut,  with  an  overmantel  and  suite  to  cor- 
respond. 

On  the  long  wall  opposite  the  fireplace  hung  two  oil- 
paintings  in  heavy  gold  frames.  They  represented  a 
middle-aged  man,  who  still  clung  to  the  short,  straight 
side-whiskers  of  the  'eighties,  and  a  youngish  woman,  in 
dowdy  evening  dress,  with  a  gold  locket  and  chain. 

Their  faces  were  both  pleasing  rather  than  otherwise: 
the  man  in  particular  had  what  one  might  call  an  inter- 
esting face,  an  expression  which  suggested  possibilities. 
His  mouth  was  sensitive  as  well  as  firm.  One  felt  that 
both  had  been  people  with  a  strong  sense  of  duty,  and  not 
without  culture. 

Their  orphan  daughter  sat  beneath  their  portraits, 
gravely  fronting  the  relatives  who  graced  her  board  that 
night. 

George  France  was  a  man  who  succeeded  comparatively 
late  in  life.  His  success — at  the  bar — came  to  him  quite 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  There  had  not  seemed  a 
chance  that  his  long  engagement  would  ever  crystallise 


HER    OWN    MISTRESS  11 

into  matrimony,  and  then,  as  the  result  of  one  cleverly 
defended  case,  he  had  more  work  than  he  could  cope  with. 

At  the  time  they  married,  his  wife,  who  had  been  wait- 
ing for  him  eight  years,  was  thirty  years  old.  She  was 
not  a  strong  woman,  and  some  physical  defect  was  found 
to  exist,  which  made  the  doctors  think  it  impossible  that 
she  should  ever  be  the  mother  of  a  living  child.  ^ 

Five  or  six  times  her  hopes  of  motherhood  were  dis- 
appointed, and  then  she  was  taken  to  see  a  new  specialist 
of  great  ability.  The  result  was  her  daughter  Camiola, 
now  seated  pensive  under  the  distressingly  philistine  pre- 
sentment of  the  mother  who  had  only  lived  to  rejoice  in 
her  for  seven  years. 

Camiola's  life  had  run  in  sevens,  for  when  she  was 
fourteen  her  father  succumbed  to  a  sudden  attack  of 
pneumonia  following  influenza.  He  died  a  fairly  wealthy 
man,  and  soon  after  his  death  his  wife's  only  sister,  rich 
and  childless,  died  also,  and  left  the  bulk  of  a  large 
fortune  to  Camiola. 

Mrs.  France's  brother,  John  Thurlow,  a  solicitor,  had 
been  appointed  guardian  of  the  orphan,  in  conjunction 
with  Arnold  Bassett,  a  barrister  whose  friendship  with 
George  France  dated  from  boyhood. 

To-night  Mr.  Thurlow  sat  upon  his  niece's  right  hand, 
and  Mr.  Bassett  upon  her  left.  Next  to  Mr.  Bassett  was 
Mrs.  Thurlow,  and  as  there  was  not  a  Mrs.  Bassett,  Mr. 
Thurlow  had  for  neighbour  a  young  girl  of  Hungarian 
extraction,  a  college  friend  of  Camiola.  Next  to  this 
young  lady  sat  Neville  Thurlow,  eldest  son  of  John,  and 
Camiola's  cousin.  Next  to  him  again  was  a  maiden  cousin 
called  Ellen  Brocklebank,  who  always  had  to  be  asked  to 
family  gatherings.  Another  married  couple,  slightly  re- 
lated, Archer  by  name,  and  the  elder  Miss  Thurlow  com- 
pleted the  assembly,  with  the  exception  of  the  vicar  of  the 
parish  who  had  baptised  Miss  France  in  infancy,  as  he 


12  ACASTLETOLET 

was  fond  of  telling  her;  and  Miss  Pnrdon,  the  lady  who 
had  taken  care  of  her  for  some  years,  and  who  sat  facing 
her,  at  the  table's  foot. 

The  savoury  had  been  dealt  with  and  carried  away,  and 
Forbes  and  his  assistants  now  deftly  removed  things  from 
the  table,  and  then,  standing  at  either  end,  raised  the  long 
lace-bordered  strips  of  embroidered  linen  and  left  the 
glossy  mahogany  bare,  in  all  the  beauty  of  its  wine-deep 
polish.  This  was  the  only  innovation  upon  which  the 
young  mistress  had  insisted,  and  she  could  hear  Aunt 
Thurlow's  sniff  of  contemptuous  disapproval.  Aunt 
Thurlow  did  not  love  her  niece  by  marriage.  She  thought 
it  very  unjust  that  Aunt  Meadow's  money  should  go  in 
such  great  measure  to  a  girl  who  already  had  quite 
enough  to  make  her  an  object  for  fortune-hunters.  How- 
ever, she  curbed  her  displeasure,  because  she  thought  it 
most  probable  that  Camiola  would  marry  Neville,  her 
son.  When  once  the  young  lady  was  her  daughter-in- 
law,  and  the  money  safely  in  the  family,  she  promised 
herself  some  plain  speaking. 

The  decanters  had  been  circulated,  the  fruit  handed, 
and  now  Uncle  Thurlow  was  rising  to  his  feet.  He  was 
a  stout  man,  and  after  eating  a  large  dinner  he  breathed 
somewhat  noisily.  He  was  at  no  time  a  fluent  speaker, 
and  the  fact  of  having  jotted  down  one  or  two  things  he 
intended  to  say  seemed  to  have  the  effect  of  almost  para- 
lysing his  eloquence.  He  hummed  and  hawed  over  his 
good  wishes  until  every  one  present  yearned  for  the  mo- 
ment of  his  sitting  down,  and  his  son  Neville  sat  with 
the  face  of  an  early  Christian  martyr  listening  to  the 
mixture  of  sentiment  and  business  which  came  in  some 
confusion  and  after  long  intervals  from  the  paternal  lips. 

The  one  thing  which  emerged  most  clearly  from  the 
welter  was  the  fact  that  the  speaker  thought  it  a  pity 
that  George  France's  will  made  his  daughter  completely 


HER    OWN    MISTRESS  13 

her  own  mistress  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  He  hoped, 
however,  that  the  guardianship  of  himself  and  "my  good 
friend  Bassett  here"  had  been  of  so  lenient  and  agreeable 
a  description  that  the  young  lady  would  be  drawn  to  con- 
sult them  from  time  to  time  before  taking  any  definite 
or  decisive  step.  In  conclusion,  he  wanted  to  say  what 
pleasure  it  gave  him  to  see  his  dear  dead  sister's  child 
who — he  said  it  without  avuncular  partiality — had  grown 
up  a  most  attractive  girl,  settled  so  •  comfortably  in  her 
handsome  house,  in  the  midst  of  a  small  but  most  affec- 
tionate circle  of  relatives  and  under  the  care  of  a  lady 
whose  attachment  to  her  was  so  real  and  whose  personal 
character  so  exemplary,  as  he  could  safely  affirm  Miss  Pur- 
don's  to  be. 

He  sat  down,  and  everybody  applauded,  with  a  feeling 
that  they  were  atoning  for  their  boredom  and  their  im- 
patience by  these  false  marks  of  esteem. 

Arnold  Bassett  leaned  back  in  his  chair  with  a  fine 
smile  of  disdain.  Then  he  turned  to  the  heroine  of  the 
evening,  who  was  gazing  reflectively  into  her  finger-bowl, 
and  seemed  a  little  absent-minded. 

"Shall  I  thank  them  on  your  behalf  ?"  he  asked.  "Any- 
thing particular  you  would  like  me  to  say  ?" 

"You  are  very  kind,"  replied  Camiola,  "but  I  will  do 
my  own  talking,  I  think." 

Slowly  she  rose  to  her  feet,  and  stood  before  them — a 
slim  girl  who  appeared  taller  than  she  really  was,  a  pale 
girl  with  black  hair,  and  curious,  inscrutable  eyes,  which 
were  green  when  you  looked  closely  at  them.  Her  fea- 
tures were  decidedly  good,  but  her  expression  was  of  re- 
serve, and,  as  Aunt  Thurlow  said,  "You  never  knew  how 
to  take  Camiola." 

Her  white  dress  was  very  simple,  and  her  only  orna- 
ment a  diamond  and  pearl  pendant  which  hung  from  a 
slender  gold  chain. 


14  ACASTLETOLET 

There  was  no  hesitation  in  her  clear  voice,  which  car- 
ried, without  effort,  to  the  admiring  servants  outside  the 
door  in  the  hall. 

"I  thank  you  all  for  the  kindness  with  which  you  have 
drunk  my  health,"  she  said.  "I  have  to  thank  particu- 
larly my  Uncle  John  and  Mr.  Bassett  for  the  wholly  sat- 
isfactory way  in  which  they  have  carried  out  their  duty 
of  guardians — a  duty  full  of  difficulty  and  involving 
much  trouble.  I  was  specially  glad  when  Uncle  John, 
three  years  ago,  yielded  to  my  wish,  allowed  me  to  shut 
up  this  house,  and  to  go  to  Oxford.  I  am  sure  that  my 
education  has  made  me  better  fitted  to  face  the  future  and 
take  charge  of  my  own  fortune.  It  is  with  the  greatest 
pleasure  that  I  welcome  you  all  here  this  evening,  though 
the  pleasure  is  mingled  with  some  regret  at  the  thought 
that  I  shall  never  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  here 
again.  The  first  act  of  my  new  reign  is  to  be  the  sale 
of  this  house  and  a  great  deal  of  the  furniture  in  it,  and 
my  departure  from  England  for  a  time.  I  am  going  to 
have  a  Wander  Jahr.  I  think  such  an  experience  will 
be  useful  to  me,  because  when  I  come  back  I  intend  to 
buy  a  place  in  the  country  and  try  and  do  some  good 
among  my  fellow-creatures.  I  expect  to  start  in  about 
six  weeks'  time,  taking  with  me  Miss  Purdon,  if  she  will 
come;  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  we  go  round  the 
world.  In  thanking  you  for  drinking  my  health,  I  wish 
to  propose  that  of  my  two  guardians,  Uncle  John  and 
Mr.  Bassett,  and  to  couple  this  toast  with  the  name  of  the 
celebrated  K.C.,  Mr.  Arnold  Bassett." 

She  sat  down.  For  a  moment  her  guardians  were  so 
amazed  that  there  was  a  portentous  silence.  Then  the 
vicar,  with  a  start,  rose  to  his  feet,  and  led  the  hearty 
honouring  of  the  toast  of  the  two  guardians. 

The  eminent  K.C.,  when  he  rose  to  reply,  seemed  to 
have  had  the  wind  taken  out  of  his  sails.  lie  owned  that 


HER    OWN    MISTRESS  15 

the  announcement  of  his  late  ward's  intentions  had  been 
a  blow.  He  felt  a  personal  regret  at  the  thought  that 
this  hospitable  board,  at  which  in  the  lifetime  of  his  dear 
friend  George  France  he  had  so  often  sat,  would  know 
him  no  more.  Xo.  3  Truro  Gardens  had  stood  for  him,  for 
many  years,  for  the  home  of  a  friend.  It  was  to  be  given 
up.  Well — as  we  all  know — we  are  growing  old,  and 
"the  younger  generation  is  knocking  at  the  door."  He 
should  have  thought,  in  his  ignorance — the  mere  man, 
a  back  number,  as  he  knew  himself  to  be — he  would  have 
thought  that  a  young  lady  who  had  just  inherited  such 
a  sumptuous  fortune  would  have  been  more  inclined  to 
try  a  London  season  than  to  go  round  the  world.  However, 
nobody  could  question  Miss  France's  right  to  do  exactly 
as  she  chose,  and  he  would  ask  them  all  to  join  in  drink- 
ing most  heartily  with  him  another  toast — "Success  to 
the  Wander  J&lir!" 

Mrs.  Thurlow  sat  staring  upon  him  with  keen  little 
eyes  which  had  a  rather  vindictive  expression.  Slowly 
she  turned  to  the  vicar,  who  was  her  neighbour,  and  asked, 
"What  is  a  Vanderyar  ?  I  never  heard  of  one." 

The  vicar  explained.  ''German  is  such  a  horrid  lan- 
guage," remarked  the  lady;  "I  never  would  learn  it.  I 
suppose  Camiola  has  caught  it  from  that  foreign  girl 
sitting  opposite  to  us.  I  am  told  that  she  is  not  German 
really,  but  Hungarian,  and  that  her  native  language  is 
even  more  barbarous  than  German;  but  the  Austrians 
speak  German,  don't  they  ?  She  was  sent  to  Oxford,  you 
know — such  an  odd  idea.  What  does  a  foreigner  want 
with  Oxford  ?  The  Universities  seem  full  of  odd  people 
nowadays;  I  am  glad  we  never  sent  our  girls  there!  It 
has  filled  my  niece's  head  with  the  most  ridiculous  ideas. 
You  would  think  with  two  cousins  so  near  her  own  age 
as  Phyllis  and  Betty  she  would  not  need  to  make  a  friend 


16  A   CASTLE   TO   LET 

of  a  Hungarian.  However,  shaTcker  narsong  goo.  I  do 
speak  French  a  little,  but  German " 

"A  difficult  language.  I  have  sometimes  wished  I  were 
more  expert,  since  the  German  theologians  are  of  such 
importance,"  replied  the  vicar  mildly. 

"German  theologians!"  Mrs.  Thurlow  withered  him 
with  all  the  scorn  of  ignorance.  "I  should  think  our 
English  theologians  were  enough  for  your  parishioners." 

"Rather  too  much,  I  sometimes  think,"  he  replied,  in 
full  security  that  the  lady  would  not  understand  him. 

"How  long  has  Camiola  been  hatching  this  idea  of 
selling  her  house  and  going  abroad  ?"  asked  Neville  Thur- 
low of  the  girl  next  him — Fraulein  Maldovan,  the  young 
Hungarian. 

"Oh,  not  so  very  long,"  replied  she,  "though  we  have 
often  talked  about  it.  You  see,  until  our  schools  were 
over,  we  had  not  much  time  to  think  about  other  things. 
Was  she  not  wonderful  to  do  it  all  in  three  years  ?" 

"Oh,  well,"  said  Neville  with  an  air  of  condescension, 
"in  my  day  we  thought  three  years  quite  enough  for  a 
pass,  you  know." 

"You  read  for  honours?"  inquired  she,  with  a  pretty 
air  of  deference.  He  assented,  with  a  smile  of  gentle 
superiority,  and  did  not  add  that  his  class  was  a  third  one 
only. 

"Why  didn't  Camiola  read  for  honours?"  he  asked. 

"She  wanted  to,  but  Miss  Purdon  dissuaded  her.  She 
thought  there  was  no  particular  object  in  it,  I  think." 

"Sensible  woman,"  replied  Neville  approvingly.  "I 
suppose  that  is  one  thing  we  are  all  agreed  upon — Miss 
Purdon  is  the  right  woman  in  the  right  place.  Camiola 
can't  go  very  far  wrong  in  her  care." 

"Oh,  certainly,"  replied  Irmgard  Maldovan. 

She  was  very  unlike  her  friend,  for  she  was  a  blonde, 
a  thing  most  unusual  among  Hungarians.  Her  eyes  were 


HER    OWN    MISTRESS  17 

a  soft  brown,  contrasting  strangely  with  her  fair  hair. 
Her  features  were  not  regular,  but  she  had  the  Honved 
vividness  and  charm.  The  fashionable  style  of  hairdress- 
ing  suited  her,  and  she  wore  a  fillet  of  turquoise  and  silver 
which  would  have  delighted  the  soul  of  an  artist. 

She  was  feeling  sorry  for  Neville  Thurlow,  and  he 
would  have  had  something  like  a  shock  had  he  realised 
how  far  she  saw  into  the  depths  of  his  being.  He  had 
been  entertaining  her  charmingly  all  dinner-time,  and  had 
been  full  of  plans  for  the  summer  vacation.  She  had  not 
dared  to  discount  Camiola's  forthcoming  announcement 
by  telling  him  that  his  plans  were  foredoomed. 

His  mother  was  as  completely  upset  as  he  was.  She 
arose  and  followed  the  young  hostess  when  she  gave  the 
signal  in  a  mood  which  boded  ill  for  somebody. 

In  the  hall  her  daughter  Phyllis  managed  to  give  her 
a  hint. 

"Mother,  whatever  happens,  don't  be  fool  enough  to 
offend  Camiola,"  she  whispered.  "Remember,  she  is  per- 
fectly independent,  and  if  you  upset  her  you  will  be  cut- 
ting off  your  nose  to  spite  your  face." 

"What  could  have  put  this  into  her  head?"  muttered 
the  irate  lady.  "Xeville'a  chance  is  over — completely 
over!  She  is  certain  to  be  snapped  up  before  she  ever 
sees  England  again." 

"Of  course.  But  you  can't  help  it.  We  are  her  nearest 
kin,  and  she  may  be  shipwrecked  or  killed  or  take  enteric 
or  something  before  she  comes  home.  Remember,  she  is 
not  married  yet,  and  we  are  her  natural  heirs  at  present." 

The  young  Thurlows  were  a  good  deal  older  than  their 
cousin,  though  Mrs.  Thurlow  had  spoken  of  her  girls  as 
"companions  of  Camiola's  own  age."  Neville  was  thirty- 
one,  and  his  sister  only  two  years  younger.  Camiola's 
memories  of  her  cousins  when  she  was  a  child  were  not 
happy.  They  had  ordered  her  about  and  been  intolerant 


18  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

of  her  youth  and  inexperience.  Her  father  had  left  in- 
structions for  her  to  receive  an  education  of  a  kind  which 
Mr.  Thurlow  thought  unfitting  for  a  girl ;  and  respecting 
this  Phyllis  and  Betty  had  been  contemptuous. 

The  daughter's  timely  warning  did,  however,  prevent 
Mrs.  Thurlow  from  making  herself  openly  objectionable. 
She  bore  as  best  she  could  with  Cousin  Ellen  Brockle- 
bank's  raptures  of  admiration  of  dearest  Camiola. 

Poor  Cousin  Ellen!  She  was  of  those  who  are  filled 
with  a  great  desire  to  help  all  the  world,  and  a  total  in- 
capacity to  do  the  simplest  thing  sensibly.  No  doubt 
her  parents  were  more  to  blame  than  she  herself.  Early 
training  might  have  corrected  the  hopeless  untidiness,  the 
lamentable  want  of  method,  the  injudicious  impulses 
which  brought  to  naught  all  her  eager  benevolence. 

She  was  a  perfectly  sincere  creature,  her  "gush"  was 
natural  and  not  assumed.  Camiola  often  wished  she  could 
take  her  in  hand  and  give  her  a  course  of  lessons  in  neat- 
ness. She  wore  to-night  a  gown  of  some  sickly  tint  of 
pale  mauve.  Why  do  people  with  string-coloured  hair 
and  complexion  invariably  desire  to  wear  pale  mauve? 
The  garment  looked  as  though  she  had  last  worn  it  about 
four  seasons  previously,  and  had,  in  taking  it  off,  screwed 
it  together  and  bundled  it  into  the  corner  of  a  room  never 
swept,  where  it  had  remained  until  she  picked  it  up  to 
wear  this  evening.  Her  boiled-gooseberry  eyes  were,  how- 
ever, alight  with  a  joy  and  pride  in  her  charming  and 
fortunate  young  kinswoman  which  was  beautiful,  if  you 
consider  that  she  herself  was  poor  and  plain,  and  spent 
her  days  in  attendance  upon  a  mother  who  suffered  from 
nerves. 

"Such  a  charming  plan — to  travel !"  she  cried.  "Every- 
thing nowadays  made  so  easy  for  you!  How  I  wish  I 
were  coming  with  you !" 

Camiola  felt  a  sudden  pang  of  compunction.    This  poor 


HER    OWN    MISTRESS  19 

Cousin  Ellen,  who  hardly  ever  got  an  "evening  off"  such 
as  she  was  having  to-night ! 

She  said  something  regretful,  trying  not  to  be  insin- 
cere. Cousin  Ellen  laughed  quite  cheerily.  "I  can  say 
I  wish  I  were  coming  without  being  thought  to  be  giving 
hints,"  she  replied,  beaming,  "because,  you  see,  even  if 
you  invited  me,  begged  me,  implored  me  to  come,  it  would 
be  out  of  the  question  that  I  should  leave  mamma." 

Camiola  felt  a  rush  of  compassion.  "Ellen,  you  are  a 
brick,"  she  cried  impulsively.  "I  wish  I  could  give  you 
a  holiday!  Do  you  think  Cousin  Sophie  would  go  to 
the  Riviera  for  the  winter  if  I  gave  you  the  money  to  pay 
for  it?" 

Ellen  started  and  coloured.  "Oh,  Camiola,  please," 
she  murmured,  "I  do  assure  you  that  I  was  not  hinting — 
you  make  me  feel  so  awkward." 

But  Camiola  gripped  the  skinny  arm  and  hurried 
Cousin  Ellen  into  the  back  drawing-room.  "My  money 
is  my  own,  and  I  can  do  as  I  like,"  she  urged  defiantly. 
"If  I  like  to  think  that  you  are  having  a  good  time  while 
I  am  away — if  it  will  make  me  happier  to  think  I  am 
giving  somebody  else  a  bit  of  pleasure — why,  you  couldn't 
be  so  nasty  as  to  deprive  me  of  my  satisfaction !" 


CHAPTER  II 

A    CHANGE    OF    PLAN 

IEMOAED  MALDOVAN  had  gone  to  the  piano  and  was 
softly  romancing  in  the  background.  While  Cousin  Ellen 
and  Camiola  argued,  Mrs.  Thurlow  sat  down  beside  Miss 
Purdon  on  the  settee  and  asked  somewhat  frigidly : 

"And  what  do  you  think,  my  dear  Miss  Purdon,  of  this 
plan  of  my  niece's  ?" 

Miss  Purdon  looked  up  from  the  knitting  that  hardly 
ever  left  her  beautiful  hands.  She  was  a  majestic  woman, 
with  abundant  hair,  quite  grey,  and  a  delicate  complex- 
ion which  contradicted  her  autumn  looks.  Her  eyes  were 
Irish — grey  and  shadowy — and  she  was,  altogether,  both 
handsome  and  charming.  "A  most  distinguished  woman" 
was  what  everybody  said  of  her.  She  smiled  at  Mrs. 
Thurlow  with  a  sympathetic  glance  while  she  replied: 

"I  think  it's  most  natural,  don't  you  ?" 

"Natural  ?  No,  since  you  ask  me,  I  don't.  Of  course, 
she  would  go  away  for  the  present.  She  might  even  stay 
at  the  sea  or  in  Scotland  until  October  or  November. 
But  to  sell  this  house,  where  her  father  brought  her 
mother  as  a  bride " 

Miss  Purdon  glanced  round  the  drawing-room,  which 
had  been  furnished  during  the  ebonised-and-gold  craze.  "I 
am  afraid  I  don't  think  there  is  much  to  inspire  senti- 
mental attachment  in  the  houses  in  Truro  Gardens,"  she 
replied. 

Mrs.  Thurlow  was  impressed.  Herself  very  much  of 
the  middle  classes,  she  had  an  enormous  respect  for  the 

20 


ACHANGEOFPLAN  21 

opinions  of  Miss  Purdon,  who  was  cousin  of  an  impov- 
erished Irish  peer. 

"Well,"  she  admitted  reluctantly,  "of  course  my  niece 
is  really  a  great  heiress." 

"I  was  surprised  to  know  how  wealthy  she  is,"  an- 
swered Miss  Purdon. 

"Her  guardians  have  nursed  her  property  well,"  said 
Mrs.  Thurlow  with  pardonable  triumph.  "I  only  trust 
she  won't  destroy  the  labours  of  years  in  a  few  months," 

"Carniola  has  some  sense  and  some  ambition,"  replied 
Miss  Purdon,  knitting  swiftly.  "She  is  perhaps  quixo- 
tic, but  she  is  no  fool." 

"And  she  has  you  to  advise  her,"  gushed  Mrs.  Thurlow. 
"Oh,  do  try  and  prevent  her  marrying  a  fortune-hunter !" 

"That" — with  a  little  smile — "is  the  penalty  to  be  suf- 
fered by  heiresses." 

"It  would  break  Neville's  heart,"  said  Neville's  mother 
in  a  low  voice. 

"Has  he  told  her  so  ?"  asked  the  other  lady. 

Mrs.  Thurlow  heaved  a  sigh.  "Not  yet.  He  thought 
he  ought  to  wait  to  speak  until  she  was  her  own  mistress." 

"I  am  afraid,  then,  that  he  had  better  hold  his  tongue 
until  this  foreign  tour  is  over,"  advised  Miss  Purdon. 
"Camiola  is  thinking  of  nothing  less  than  of  marriage 
just  at  present." 

"But  she  is  sure  to  be  snapped  up  by  the  time  she  re- 
turns," gasped  Mrs.  Thurlow,  speaking  out  in  her  despair. 

Miss  Purdon  laid  down  the  knitting  completely,  and 
spoke  as  one  who  makes  a  confidence. 

"I  believe  that  Camiola,  though  she  will  leave  England 
at  once,  means  to  stay  in  Europe  till  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber. I  think  of  suggesting  to  Mr.  Bassett  that  he  should 
join  our  party  some  time  during  the  long  vacation.  How 
if  Mr.  Neville  came  too  ?" 

Mrs.  Thurlow's  eye  lit  up.     "That  is  an  idea,"  she 


22  ACASTLETOLET 

slowly  said.     "I  do  feel  that  those    wo  ought  to  marry." 

"You  have  no  prejudice  against  the  marriage  of  first 
cousins  ?" 

"Circumstances  alter  cases,"  primly  observed  the  lady. 
"The  family  health  is  excellent  on  both  sides." 

There  was  no  reply.  The  flashing  needles  were  again 
busy. 

"I  suppose" — with  carefully  lowered  voice — "you  have 
no  knowledge  of  the  state  of  Camiola's  affections  ?  You 
don't  think  she  cares  for  Neville  ?" 

"My  own  opinion  is  that  she  is  wholly  fancy  free ;  but 
I  never  try  to  probe  her  confidence.  Irmgard  could  proba- 
bly tell  you  more  of  her  feelings  than  I  can." 

"Yes,  that  girl !  A  foreigner !  And  she  is  to  be  taken 
round  the  world,  when  Phyllis  and  Betty  are  both  dying 
to  go!  Why  should  Camiola  take  a  Hungarian  girl,  of 
all  nationalities,  about  with  her  ?" 

"Why  should  not  Camiola  take  whom  she  likes  ?"  The 
question  was  rather  coldly  put.  Mrs.  Thurlow  stared. 
She  admired  Miss  Purdon,  and  Miss  Purdon  was  always 
very  civil  to  her;  but  it  did  now  occur  to  her  to  reflect 
that  Miss  Purdon  could  have  no  interests  to  serve  in  serv- 
ing those  of  Mrs.  Thurlow. 

"Your  daughters  are  neither  of  them  Camiola's  con- 
temporaries," went  on  the  cool,  clear  voice.  "She  is  much 
attached  to  Fraulein  Maldovan,  who  has  been  her  close 
friend  at  Oxford  during  two  years." 

"Who  is  the  girl  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Thurlow  fretfully. 

"She  is  the  daughter  of  General  Maldovan,  who  com- 
mands a  division  of  the  Austrian  army  in  a  very  out-of- 
the-way  spot — Transylvania." 

"Transylvania?  What  has  the  Austrian  army  to  do 
there  ?  It  is  in  the  United  States,  is  it  not  ?" 

Miss  Purdon  repressed  her  smile.  "It  is  on  the  east 
of  Hungary,  and  Inngard's  father  commands  the  forces 


A    CHANGE    OF    PLAN  23 

of  a  large  district,  the  Ildenthal,  which  seems  to  be  in  the 
mountains,  leagues  from  civilisation." 

"H'm!  A  General,  and  governs  a  province!  I  suppose 
my  niece  thinks  she  would  like  to  enter  the  aristocracy," 
remarked  Mrs.  Thurlow  spitefully. 

"She  certainly  has  the  means  to  marry  well  if  she 
choose  to  look  high,"  was  the  tranquil  rejoinder.  "She 
is  attractive,  too,  though  a  little  shy  at  present;  and,  as  I 
told  you,  I  think  she  is  ambitious." 

So  saying,  Miss  Purdon  rose  and  crossed  the  room  to 
talk  to  Mrs.  Archer.  She  was  thoroughly  conversant  with 
the  duties  of  her  position.  Mrs.  Thurlow  sat  where  she 
\vas,  sunk  in  reverie,  wondering  what  she  could  do,  how 
to  establish  over  Miss  Purdon  some  hold  which  might  in- 
duce her  to  work  the  oracle. 

Later,  when  the  gentlemen  came  upstairs,  she  thought 
she  understood.  Arnold  Bassett  was  the  first  to  come, 
and  he  gravitated  to  the  chaperon's  side. 

Miss  Purdon,  while  abating  no  jot  of  her  dignified  self- 
possession,  was  nevertheless  exceedingly  cordial ;  and  Mrs. 
Thurlow  was  not  long  in  concluding  that  the  lady,  fore- 
seeing the  marriage  of  her  charge  in  a  year  or  two's  time, 
was  manoeuvring  for  a  home  of  her  own. 

As  she  said  to  her  husband  that  night  when  going  to 
bed,  nobody  but  herself  could  have  divined  the  little  secret. 
She  had  always  thought  of  Bassett  as  a  husband  for 
Phyllis,  but  as  he  had  dined  constantly  at  their  house  for 
the  last  eight  years  and  nothing  had  come  of  it,  she  had 
reached  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  best  to  surrender 
that  idea,  and  do  what  she  could  to  bring  Arnold  and 
Miss  Purdon  together,  if  only  Miss  Purdon,  in  return, 
would  promote  Neville's  interest. 

"If  Neville  is  such  a  blamed  ass  that  he  can't  do  his 
own  courting,  he  won't  get  far  even  with  Miss  Purdon  to 
push  him,"  remarked  Mr.  Thurlow.  "Nev's  got  no  emo- 


24  ACASTLETOLET 

tiona.  He's  nothing  but  a  stomach  and  an  intelligence. 
The  first  man  who  has  the  sentiments  will  chip  in  and 
leave  him  badly  beaten." 

This,  his  wife  told  him,  was  just  like  a  man.  They 
little  knew  how  much  is  done  by  indirect  influence — by 
the  constant  pressure  of  a  strong  will  acting  upon  a  young 
and  ardent  nature. 

"Is  Camiola  ardent  ?  I  should  have  thought  her  as  cold 
as  Nev,"  was  the  answer.  "At  his  age  I  should  have  pre- 
ferred something  more  juicy.  But,  of  course,  her  for- 
tune is  worth  giving  up  a  good  bit  for." 

At  Number  3  Camiola  saw  the  door  close  upon  the  last 
of  her  guests — Mr.  Arnold  Bassett — without  a  regret. 

She  was  her  own  mistress  at  last.  She  had,  so  she 
hoped,  kissed  both  Uncle  John  and  Uncle  Arnold,  as 
she  called  him,  though  he  was  nothing  of  the  kind,  for 
the  last  time.  "To-morrow,"  she  cried  joyfully,  as  she 
caught  Irmgard  in  her  arms  and  hugged  her,  "we  will 
go  and  put  this  house  in  the  auctioneer's  hands,  and  the 
day  after  we  will  fly  to  Cook's  and  take  tickets  to  go 
round  the  world !" 

The  first  part  of  this  intoxicating  programme  was  duly 
carried  out  next  day.  They  went  to  the  auctioneer's  and 
gave  full  directions  for  the  warehousing  of  some  bits 
of  furniture  which  were  treasures,  and  the  sale  of  all  the 
rest.  The  men  were  to  come  in  and  pack  next  Monday, 
and  the  old  and  trusted  servants,  such  as  Forbes,  were 
to  be  sent  into  the  country  on  board  wages  until  such  time 
as  their  young  mistress  should  have  a  use  for  them  once 
more. 

The  following  morning,  however,  brought  a  check  to  the 
eager  progress  of  Camiola.  There  was  a  letter  for  Irm- 
gard upon  the  breakfast  table,  and  it  brought  bad  news. 
Her  mother  was  ill,  so  seriously  ill  that  her  daughter's 
presence  was  absolutely  necessary,  and,  should  the  crisis 


ACHANGEOFPLAN  25 

pass  and  her  life  be  prolonged,  her  father  feared  that 
Irmgard  would  have  to  be  at  home  at  least  for  some 
months  to  come,  since  her  mother  must  of  necessity  be  an 
invalid  for  a  considerable  period. 

This  was  a  blow. 

Permission  for  Irmgard  to  accompany  her  friend  round 
the  world  had  been  received  from  Ildestadt  only  with 
difficulty.  Now  all  was  overthrown.  The  well-laid  plans 
were  useless.  To  go  voyaging  without  her  friend  would 
be  no  pleasure  to  Camiola.  She  felt  inclined  to  cancel 
all  orders  and  sit  at  home  in  Truro  Gardens  sulking. 

Both  the  girls  shed  tears  as  they  sat  together  in  a  some- 
what dark  morning-room,  whose  window  was  so  over- 
shadowed by  projecting  walls  of  mud-coloured  brick  that 
it  had  to  be  made  of  cathedral  glass  to  exclude  the  hideous 
prospect.  It  was  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  mis- 
tress of  the  house  wanted  to  go  elsewhere. 

Miserably  Camiola  turned  over  the  leaves  of  a  conti- 
nental time-table. 

"I  never  saw  such  a  place  as  Ildestadt,"  she  muttered ; 
"the  man  who  compiled  this  book  has  apparently  not  yet 
discovered  it." 

"Only  about  two  trains  a  day,"  sighed  Irmgard,  busily 
sewing  buttons  on  her  gloves.  "It  will  be  poked  away  in 
a  corner — Ildenthal  branch  of  the  Hungarian  States  Rail- 
way." 

She  looked  very  woebegone.  Her  mother's  illness  was 
a  real  grief,  for  she  feared  her  father  considerably  more 
than  she  loved  him.  Her  first  thought  was  for  the  sick 
woman,  for  her  heart  was  simple  and  full  of  family  affec- 
tion; but  mingled  with  it  was  a  big  dose  of  sorrow  for 
herself,  suddenly  deprived  of  what  was  to  have  been  the 
kind  of  treat  you  only  read  of  in  the  "Arabian  Nights." 
She  might  have  known,  she  supposed,  that  it  was  too 
good  to  come  true.  Was  it  likely  that  she,  Irmgard  Mai- 


26  ACASTLETOLET 

dovan,  would  ever  go  round  the  world?  When  her  old 
uncle,  the  Admiral,  had  given  her  father  the  money  to 
send  her  to  England  to  complete  her  education,  that  had 
seemed  too  good  to  be  true.  Then  the  unbelievable  beauty 
of  Oxford,  the  delight  of  making  friends  with  so  excep- 
tional a  girl  as  Camiola,  the  prospect  of  such  pleasure  as 
was  to  be  hers  in  the  projected  travels — it  all  seemed  part 
of  an  incredible  dream,  from  which  she  was  now  awak- 
ened. 

She  found  herself  faced  by  the  prospect  of  returning 
to  Szass  Lona,  her  father's  present  home,  to  a  solitude,  an 
isolation  not  to  be  conceived  of  by  an  English  mind. 

In  Transylvania  the  aristocracy  alone  is  Magyar,  and 
lives  surrounded  by  a  middle-class  population  of  the  so- 
called  "Saxons"  and  a  Roumanian  peasantry. 

Railways  in  Transylvania  are  few  and  inefficient. 
Camiola  found  it  a  hard  task  to  track  down  Ildestadt  in 
her  time-table. 

"Here  it  is,"  she  said  at  last.  "As  you  said — two  trains 
a  day;  and  it  takes  about  eight  hours  to  get  there  from 
Hermannstadt,  which  is  the  extreme  end  of  civilisation. 
Let  me  see — yes,  this  must  be  it.  But  why  does  it  say 
Yndaia  in  brackets  ?  Are  there  two  stations  at  Ildestadt  C 

"Oh,  no.  But  the  proper  name — the  Roumanian  name 
is  Yndaia.  Ildestadt  is  only  the  Austrian  name." 

"I  have  it!"  said  Camiola  suddenly.  "We  will  only 
take  the  train  as  far  as  Hermannstadt,  and  thence  we  v;iil 
go  on  to  Ildestadt — or  Yndaia,  which  is  far  more  roman- 
tic— in  the  motor." 

Irmgard  raised  her  blond  head,  with  two  eyes  as  large 
as  tea-cups." 

"We?"  she  repeated  faintly.  "You  are  not  coming  to 
Ildestadt?" 

Camiola  stretched  herself  languidly  as  she  lounged  upon 
a  dark  blue  velvet  settee.  The  "Indicateur"  slid  from 


ACHANGEOFPLAN  27 

her  knees  to  the  ground,  and  the  Persian  kitten  darted  at 
it.  "Why  not?"  asked  Camiola,  peering  under  her  lids 
at  Miss  Purdon,  who  sat  at  work  near  the  window  heark- 
ening attentively  but  without  comment. 

"Why  not?"  asked  Irmgard  vaguely.  "Oh,  well,  be- 
cause there  is  simply  nothing  to  come  for.  I  cannot  de- 
scribe to  you  how  desolate  the  Ildenthal  is.  Nobody  goes 
there.  It  is  all  so  primitive,  so  savage!  Unless  you  went 
there  you  could  not  realise." 

"But  I  should  like  to  realise.  Why  follow  the  beaten 
track  when  there  is  such  a  place  to  be  seen  by  the  enter- 
prising ?  Give  me  Murray — Baedeker  fails  here."  The 
girl  curled  herself  round  in  her  chair,  and  began  to  read 
with  ever-increasing  relish: 

"The  most  beautiful  and  romantic  spot  in  this  wild 
country,  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  the  magnificent 
gorge  known  as  the  Thorda  Spalt,  is  no  doubt  the  valley 
known  as  the  Ildenthal.  The  picturesque  walled  city  of 
Ildestadt — or  Yndaia,  to  give  it  its  proper  name — is  prob- 
ably unmatched  in  Europe.  From  the  city  the  mountains 
rise  at  an  incredibly  steep  gradient,  and  perched  upon  the 
very  lap  of  the  heights  is  the  Castle  of  Yndaia,  known 
now  as  the  Orenfels.  As  far  up  as  the  castle  a  mule  path 
has  been  hewn  in  the  living  rock,  and  will  remind  the 
traveller  strongly  of  the  old  mule  path  up  the  Grimsel 
Pass  in  Switzerland. 

"It  is  to  be  regretted  that  an  attempt  recently  made  to 
throw  open  this  interesting  and  most  romantic  spot  to 
tourists  has  lamentably  failed. 

"Some  years  ago  mineral  springs  were  discovered,  of 
great  medicinal  value.  A  hotel  was  built,  baths  were  in 
course  of  construction,  and  the  thrifty  Saxon  population 
of  Ildestadt  looked  forward  to  a  new  era;  but  a  terrible 
accident  put  an  end  to  their  hopes.  A  party  from  the 
hotel,  accompanied  by  two  guides,  experienced  mountain- 


28  A   CASTLE    TO   LET 

eers,  natives  of  the  Ildenthal,  disappeared  upon  the  moun- 
tain-side in  the  August  of  the  year  19 — ,  and  no  trace  of 
them  was  ever  found.  The  newly-built  hotel  had  to  close 
its  doors  the  following  season,  and  no  attempt  has  been 
made  as  yet  to  reopen  it." 

"Why,  this  ia  too  good  to  be  true!  I  did  not  know 
there  was  such  a  place  in  Europe!"  cried  Camiola  joy- 
fully. "A  walled  city !  A  castle  on  the  rocks ! !  Preci- 
pices !  Caverns !  Above  all,  a  mystery !  Why  have  you 
never  told  me  anything  of  all  these  thrilling  stories  ?" 

Inngard  laughed  scornfully.  "The  caverns  and  the 
waterfalls  are  right  up  in  the  hills,  miles  from  where  we 
live,"  said  she  discontentedly.  "Szass  Lona  is  below  Ilde- 
stadt,  and  the  river  which  flows  down  to  us — the  Ilden- 
fluss — overflows  all  its  banks  in  winter,  and  the  floods  are 
perfectly  sickening.  The  castle  is  rather  splendid.  I 
went  up  once  to  see  it.  It  dates  from  the  twelfth  century, 
I  believe." 

"Twelfth  century  castle!"  murmured  Camiola,  en- 
tranced. "And  here  have  we — Mizpah  and  I — been  ex- 
isting all  this  time  without  even  knowing  of  its  existence, 
still  less  that  you  lived  next  door !  I  suppose  it  is  a  ruin  ? 
Oh,  no;  from  what  Murray  has  to  say,  it  is  nothing  of 
the  kind.  Just  attend  to  this,  if  you  please!  'The  cas- 
tle is  a  specimen  of  architecture  absolutely  unique  in 
Transylvania.  A  twelfth  century  fortress,  it  was  the 
property  of  almost  the  only  noble  Roumanian  family  still 
existing  in  the  country — the  family  of  Vajda-Maros.  This 
house  ruled  the  Vale  of  Yndaia  from  time  immemorial; 
and  in  the  early  sixteenth  century  they  were  so  rich  and 
powerful  that  the  then  Count  visited  England,  and  ac- 
quired a  great  admiration  for  English  architecture.  The 
story  goes  that  he  persuaded  an  English  architect  to  go 
back  with  him  to  Transylvania,  and  design  an  addition  to 
the  castle  much  in  the  style  of  Haddon  Hall.  This  beau- 


ACHANGEOFPLAN  29 

tiful  structure  is  still  intact,  and  still  in  possession  of  the 
Vajda-Maros.  The  tragic  fact  that  the  heir  to  the  prop- 
erty perished  in  the  catastrophe,  whatever  it  was,  which 
befell  the  tourist  party  upon  the  mountains,  gives  a  ro- 
mantic interest  to  the  beautiful  and  ancient  edifice.' ' 

There  was  a  little  silence.  Camiola,  seemingly  ab- 
sorbed in  the  guide-book,  was  glancing  out  of  the  tail  of 
her  eye  at  Miss  Purdon — or  "Mizpah,"  as  the  two  girls 
usually  called  her,  the  name  being  a  contraction,  or  rather 
a  corruption  of  "Miss  Pur."  After  a  pause,  the  oracle 
spoke. 

"Are  you  thinking  that  it  would  be  a  nice  beginning 
of  our  travel,  to  escort  Irmgard  home,  and  make  a  little 
tour  in  an  almost  unknown  part  of  Europe?"  she  asked 
calmly. 

Camiola  looked  up  hopefully.  "You  don't  think  I'm  a 
lunatic,  Mizpah,  dear?" 

Alizpah  laid  down  her  work,  and  gave  the  question  her 
full  consideration. 

"Well,  my  child,"  said  she,  "I  sympathise  with  you 
very  strongly.  This  morning's  bad  news  has  thrown  out 
your  plans,  but  I  think  you  feel  a  hope  that  they  are  only 
postponed.  Your  impulse  is  to  wait  a  little — not  to  start 
off  round  the  world  until  you  have  made  certain  either 
that  Irmgard  can,  or  that  she  cannot,  accompany  you. 
To  stay  in  London  is  out  of  the  question,  and  I  think  a 
month  in  Transylvania  would  be  very  pleasant.  I  sup- 
pose we  could  get  there  without  too  much  discomfort; 
and  I  am  not  yet  too  stricken  in  years  to  enjoy  an  adven- 
ture," 

"Mizpah,  you're  a  brick,"  cried  Camiola  impulsively. 
"I  own  that  I  feel  quite  absurdly  attracted  by  this  creepy 
story.  Tell  us  more  about  it,  Irmgard.  Do  you  remem- 
ber its  happening?" 

"We  were  not  there  at  the  time*  Papa  was  appointed 


30  ACASTLETOLET 

to  the  command  the  following  spring.  We  had  heard  a 
great  deal  about  the  new  hotel,  and  people  comforted 
mamma,  and  said  that  Ildestadt  was  to  become  a  second 
Sinaia." 

"A  second  what  ?" 

"Sinaia.  You  know  Ildestadt  is  not  far  from  the  Rou- 
manian frontier,  and  there  is  a  Roumanian  watering- 
place  called  Sinaia  where  the  king  has  a  palace,  and  the 
court  ladies  go  about  dressed  like  Roumanian  peasants. 
Mamma  was  feeling  rather  depressed  at  being  sent  to 
such  an  outlandish  part  of  the  world,  but  people  said  it 
was  to  be  quite  fashionable,  so  we  were  much  disappointed 
when  we  arrived,  to  find  that  the  Kur-haus  was  closed 
and  the  whole  place  deserted." 

"Do  you  know  anything  of  this  Roumanian  family  who 
own  the  castle?"  asked  Camiola.  "The  Vajda-Maros?" 

"Yes,  a  little.  They  are  very  poor  and  very  disagree- 
able. They  can't  afford  to  live  at  Orenfels,  so  they  have 
a  tiny  house,  like  a  prison,  in  Ildestadt.  They  are  very 
stiff,  and  think  themselves  too  grand  for  the  Magyar  aris- 
tocracy. Papa  says  that  they  were  like  kings  in  the  olden 
times.  Even  the  Saxons  respect  them." 

"Oh,  dear,  do  tell  me  what  you  mean  by  the  Saxons  ?" 
cried  her  friend,  bewildered.  "There  are  Roumanians 
and  Magyars,  and  now  you  talk  about  Saxons!  Saxons 
in  Transylvania?" 

Inngard  laughed.  "It  is  queer,  isn't  it?"  said  she. 
"You  know  what  the  Roumanians  say  about  them  ?  They 
say  that  they  are  the  descendants  of  the  children  that  the 
Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin  stole.  They  came  up  through  the 
Almescher  Hole  into  Transylvania!  But  in  reality  they 
are  colonists  who  were  invited  by  the  Emperor  to  come  in 
the  thirteenth  century.  They  never  intermarry  with  the 
Roumanians,  and  they  keep  their  Protestant  religion,  all 
among  the  orthodox  population.  They  are  clean  and  in- 


ACHANGEOFPLAN  31 

dustrious  and  steady  and  ugly  and  unpleasant.  The  Rou- 
manians are  beautiful  and  charming,  but  somehow  they 
never  rise.  They  are  an  unthrifty  lot,  papa  says." 

"Well,  it  is  a  queer  country!" 

"You  may  well  say  so.  But  the  fact  that  most  of  the 
townspeople  are  Saxons  is  a  good  thing  for  you  in  a  way, 
because  they  speak  German,  and  you  could  never  under- 
stand Roumanian." 

"Xo,  indeed!  Well,  Mizpah,  every  word  increases  my 
desire  to  go.  Picture  to  yourself  a  mediaeval  fortress  to 
which  no  tourist  has  ever  penetrated !  Xo  paper  bags  nor 
chocolate  paper  strewn  upon  the  grass — no  names  cut 
upon  the  hoary  stones,  no  Bier-Halle  awaiting  you  at 
the  'Sclionste  Aussichts-Punkt !' ' 

"I  feel  drawn  to  it  almost  as  strongly  as  you  yourself." 

"It's  settled,"  announced  Camiola,  with  an  air  of  de- 
cision. "We  are  going.  Ah,  but  I  forgot!  Murray  says 
ihe  hotel  is  closed !" 

"Oh,  that  was  the  new  Kur-haus,  up  in  the  woods. 
There  is  the  Blaue  Vogel,  in  the  market  square.  I  should 
think  that  would  be  all  right." 

Camiola  once  more  appealed  to  the  unerring  guide-book. 

"  'Blaue  Vogel,  old-world,  but  comfortable,'  "  she  read. 
"  <R.  3 — i.  B.  1.50.  D.  3.  S.  2.'  Well,  it  won't  ruin 
us.  Supper,  too!  How  nice  and  cosy  and  go-to-bed-at- 
ten  it  sounds!" 

"You  ought  to  stay  with  us,"  said  Irmgard  with  a 
sigh,  "but  if  poor  mamma  is  so  ill " 

"Why,  of  course!  I  never  dreamt  of  such  a  thing! 
We.  shan't  worry  your  people  a  bit.  But  I  shall  be  there 
within  call,  just  to  help  you  to  buck  up,  poor  old  thing. 
Well,  I  am  glad  it  is  all  settled.  I'll  telephone  to  the 
garage  for  Reed  and  we  will  go  to  Cook's  and  get  our 
tickets.  I  suppose  we  must  start  to-morrow?  What  a 
rush !  Can  you  do  it,  ^lizpah  ?" 


32  ACASTLETOLET 

"Oh,  dear,  yes,  two  or  three  hours  will  see  me  through 
with  my  packing,"  replied  the  capable  woman. 

Camiola  flew  to  the  telephone,  and  thence  upstairs  to 
interview  her  maid. 

"Marston,"  said  she,  "I  am  starting  for  Central  Eu- 
rope to-morrow.  It  is  very  sudden,  and  I  quite  expect 
you  to  say  you  won't  come.  All  the  same,  I  shall  be  very 
disappointed  if  you  do  say  so." 

Marston  looked  grave. 

"Your  things  to  pack  and  my  own,  miss  ?"  she  asked. 

"In  time  to  catch  the  boat-train  to-morrow." 

"I  think  I  can  do  it,  miss,"  replied  Marston,  without 
the  flicker  of  an  eyelid. 

Camiola  flung  her  arms  round  this  indispensable  per- 
son's neck. 

By  lunch  time,  when  she  returned  from  Cook's  with 
the  tickets,  a  great  part  of  the  preparation  was  already 
made. 

Meanwhile  Miss  Purdon  had  interviewed  the  down- 
stairs servants,  and  made  all  arrangements  for  leaving 
Forbes  and  Mrs.  Blagg  in  charge  until  the  sale  should  be 
over.  They  did  not  linger  over  lunch,  and  were  all  hard 
at  work  upstairs  at  about  a  quarter  to  four,  when  Forbes 
came  up  with  a  doubtful  face,  and  announced : 

"Mr.  Neville  Thurlow  in  the  drawing-room,  miss.  I 
did  not  like  to  deny  you  to  him." 

"Oh !"  cried  Camiola,  sitting  back  upon  her  heels.  She 
had  been  kneeling  by  a  trunk  which  she  was  helping  to 
pack.  "Oh,  I  wish  I  had  told  you  not  to  admit  anybody ! 
Yet  no,  perhaps  it  is  as  well  that  he  has  come,  it  will  save 
my  having  to  write  to  Uncle  Thurlow."  She  rose  and 
turned  to  the  basin  to  wash  her  hands,  while  Marston 
hastened  to  her  with  a  comb.  "Mind,  Mizpah,  you  and 
Irmgard  are  both  to  come  down  to  tea  in  ten  minutes 
punctually,"  said  she  authoritatively. 


CHAPTER  HI 

NEVILLE    MAKES    A    MISTAKE 

NEVILLE  THURLOW  was  standing  in  the  window,  gaz- 
ing out  upon  the  gardens  of  the  square,  when  his  cousin 
entered.  He  turned  a  pale  face  to  her. 

He  was  a  tall  man,  of  rather  narrow  build,  with  a  face 
which  only  just  escaped  being  handsome.  The  fact  that 
his  hair  and  eyebrows  were  drab,  and  his  eyes  cold  and 
expressionless,  prevented  one  from  realising  how  good  his 
features  were. 

His  hand,  as  he  greeted  Camiola,  felt  cool  and  limp  in 
hers,  and  as  she  sat  down  in  a  chair  from  which  she 
previously  dislodged  one  of  the  cats,  which  she  picked  up 
in  her  arms,  she  was  thinking  what  a  dreary  kind  of 
person  he  was. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  poor  Neville  has  been  whole- 
somely and  happily  in  love.  The  lady  of  his  choice  had, 
however,  not  found  favour  in  the  parental  eyes.  It  was 
at  that  time  quite  impossible  for  Neville  to  assert  him- 
self. His  whole  future  depended  upon  his  father,  who 
made  the  fullest  use  of  the  lever  of  power  he  enjoyed. 
Since  that  time  Neville  had  winced  away  from  emotional 
experience. 

A  year  ago  he  would  have  asked  Camiola  to  marry 
him  without  reluctance,  though  without  any  kind  of  en- 
thusiasm. But  to-day,  unfortunately  for  him,  the  case 
was  otherwise.  He  did  not  himself  as  yet  understand 
why. 

He  looked  at  the  door  vaguely,  as  if  expecting,  or  per- 
haps hoping,  that  another  girl  would  follow  Camiola  in'.o 

33 


34  ACASTLETOLET 

the  room.  He  knew  that  he  ought  to  be  glad  that  they 
two  were  alone.  He  had  his  opportunity.  His  mother 
would  be  terribly  upset  if  he  did  not  make  the  most  of  it. 

"Well,"  he  said,  forcing  a  smile,  "not  overcome  with 
the  effort  of  the  birthday  party?" 

"Why,  I'm  afraid  I  didn't  realise  that  it  was  an  ef- 
fort," replied  the  girl.  "Miss  Purdon  takes  the  cares  of 
Martha  upon  her  shoulders  for  me  to  an  extent  which  is 
perhaps  unwise,  as  far  as  my  moral  training  goes." 

"I  find  no  fault  with  your  moral  training,  Camiola," 
he  put  in  with  a  smile,  and  an  impression  that  he  had 
taken  a  chance  creditably. 

"That's  awfully  nice  of  you,"  replied  his  cousin  com- 
posedly, "and  it  is  also  nice  of  you  to  come  and  pay  your 
visit  of  digestion  so  soon.  In  fact,  if  you  had  come  one 
day  later  it  would  have  been  too  late." 

"Too  late !     What  do  you  mean  ?"  he  asked  hurriedly. 

"'Oh,  we  are  all  in  such  a  rush  and  a  bustle,"  she 
laughed.  "Poor  little  Irmgard — I  should  say  my  friend, 
Fraulein  Maldovan — had  bad  news  this  morning.  Her 
mother  is  ill,  and  she  is  summoned  home  at  once.  The 
result  is  that  Mizpah  and  I  have  decided  to  take  her  home, 
and  stay  in  Transylvania  for  a  while  ourselves.  We  are 
all  off  by  the  boat-train  to-morrow." 

"Transylvania.'?"  echoed  the  young  man  incredulously. 
"My  dear  Camiola,  you  speak  as  calmly  as  if  you  were 
going  to  Boulogne.  Have  you  realised  the  difficulties,  the 
fatigues  of  such  a  journey — or  the  lack  of  civilisation, 
when  you  get  there  ?" 

She  laughed.  "You  see,  Irmgard  lives  out  there,  and 
knows  the  ropes.  Otherwise  I  might  not  venture." 

Xeville  sat  still.  Two  ideas  fought  within  him.  The 
first  was,  that  this  moment  was  his  only  chance  to  propose, 
as  it  were,  spontaneously.  The  second  was  a  rush  of  pity 
for  a  certain  blond  young  girl  who  was  in  trouble. 


NEVILLE    MAKES    A    MISTAKE     35 

He  choked  back  the  second  feeling  and  spoke  in  blind 
haste.  "So  you  really  are  going  ?  Leaving  England  ? 
This  is  the  last  time  that  I  shall  see  you?  Oh,  then, 
Camiola,  you  cannot  blame  me  if  I  am  ^precipitate !  I — 
won't  you  let  me  tell  you — ask  you  ?" 

He  was  on  his  feet  and  approaching.  Camiola  leapt  up 
with  a  gasp,  holding  the  grey  cat  before  her  as  though  for 
a  shield  against  this  wholly  unexpected  onslaught.  Yet, 
even  as  she  rose,  she  told  herself  that  she  must  let  him  say 
a  few  words  more.  She  would  not  fall  into  the  error  of 
refusing  a  proposal  that  had  not  been  made.  At  Oxford 
she  had  received  two  offers  of  marriage — one  from  a  don, 
and  one  from  Mizpah's  cousin,  the  penniless  young  Irish 
peer,  who,  much  to  Mizpah's  annoyance,  had  prematurely 
disclosed  himself  and  been  appropriately  snubbed.  She 
was  not,  therefore,  quite  a  novice  at  the  game  poor  Xeville 
was  playing  so  inadequately. 

He  ventured  quite  near,  and  managed  to  say,  after  a 
pause  in  which  to  summon  up  his  courage,  "I  came  here 
to-day  to  ask  you  to  be  my  wife." 

Camiola  was  divided  between  anger  and  pity.  She 
guessed  that  he  had  been  egged  on  to  make  this  deplorable 
mistake,  but  it  was  one  which  could  easily  be  remedied, 
seeing  that  she  felt  sure  his  heart  was  not  involved. 

She  put  down  the  cat  and  held  out  both  hands  to  him. 

"Thank  you,  Neville,  for  paying  me  the  highest  honour 
a  man  can  pay  a  woman,"  she  said  gravely,  "but  let  me 
say  at  once  that  what  you  suggest  is  wholly  out  of  the 
question.  I  don't  care  for  you  one  little  tiny  bit  in  the 
way  you  would  want  your  wife  to  care;  and  it  is  a  very 
good  thing  I  don't,  for  the  marriage  of  first  cousins  is 
always  a  mistake,  and  I  am  modern  enough  to  feel  strongly 
on  the  subject." 

He  hardly  knew  whether  what  he  felt  was  more  relief 
or  mortification. 


36  ACASTLETOLET 

He  held  her  two  hands  very  tightly,  remarking,  as  he 
looked  down  at  them,  how  daintily  kept  they  were,  how 
softly  they  curled  about  his  own.  Perhaps  he  was  nearer 
to  loving  Camiola  then  than  he  had  ever  been. 

"Is  that  final?"  he  asked.  "You  can't  expect  me  to 
take  'No'  without  an  effort  to  change  it  into  'Yes.'  I 
would  be  good  to  you,  I  would  do  all  I  could  to  make  you 
happy.  I — we — we  have  known  each  other  all  our  lives. 
Don't  you  think  perhaps  later  on  you  might  grow  to  care 
— you  might  change  your  mind  ?" 

She  shook  her  head,  smiling  at  him  with  a  cold,  remote 
little  smile  which  seemed  to  tell  him  without  words  what 
miles  away  he  was  from  her  mentally.  He  did  not  un- 
derstand her,  and  in  a  way  he  was  afraid  of  her.  As  he 
let  go  her  hands  he  knew  how  glad  he  was  that  after  all 
he  had  failed. 

"I  don't  want  to  rub  it  in,  !N"ev,"  she  said,  "but  you 
have  made  a  great  mistake.  I  have  never  cared  a  bit  for 
you,  and  I  am  sure  you  cannot  have  thought  I  did.  I 
have  not  flirted,  have  I  ?" 

"Oh,  no,  no!  A  hundred  times  no!  But  one  cannot 
always  tell,"  he  muttered  confusedly.  "Sometimes  a  girl 
will  say  and  do  nothing  at  all  to  let  you  think  she  cares, 
and  when  once  you  speak  you  find  out  that  she  is — that 
she  has  been " 

"Expecting  it,"  laughed  Camiola.  "I  dare  say.  I 
assure  you  that  I  was  not  expecting  your  declaration.  Let 
us  forget  it,  shall  we?  I  hear  Forbes  and  the  teacups 
approaching,  and  Mizpah  and  Irmgard  are  both  anxious 
to  bid  you  good-bye.  Don't  go.  You  don't  bear  malice, 
do  you  ?" 

"Indeed  no.  You  have  been  very  good  to  me,"  he  fal- 
tered ;  and  broke  off  abruptly  as  the  door  was  opened  and 
tea  came  in. 

Almost  immediately  after,  Miss  Purdon  and  Fraulein 


NEVILLE   MAKES    A   MISTAKE    37 

Maldovan  made  their  appearance.  Seville's  habitual 
coldly  reserved  manner  stood  him  in  good  stead  now.  He 
felt  pretty  certain  that  Camiola  would  not  "give  him 
away"  to  these  ladies,  and  he  did  his  best  to  talk  naturally 
and  to  express  just  the  right  amount  of  regret  at  their 
sudden  departure.  "Though  London  is  awful  now,"  he 
admitted. 

"If  we  like  the  Ildenthal,  and  stay  there  for  some 
weeks,  as  Camiola  seems  half  inclined  to  do,  you  and 
Mr.  Bassett  ought  to  come  out  and  join  us  there,"  sug- 
gested Mizpah,  when  their  destination  had  been  discussed. 

It  so  happened  that,  when  she  spoke,  Neville's  eyes 
were  fixed  upon  Inngard,  who  was  pouring  milk  into  the 
kitten's  silver  saucer.  The  least  change  of  colour  upon 
her  extremely  fair  complexion  was  clearly  visible.  As 
the  words  were  uttered  he  saw  the  warm  blood  flow  into 
the  somewhat  pale  cheeks ;  and  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart 
he  felt  a  queer  pain.  Instead  of  hastily  declaring  that 
Transylvania  was  the  ends  of  the  earth,  he  suddenly  felt 
a  desire  to  go  there. 

"That's  a  great  scheme,  Miss  Purdon,"  said  he.  ''I 
will  turn  it  over  in  my  mind.  But  what  says  my  cousin '?" 

"There  is  a  hotel  at  Ildestadt  I  cannot  prevent  your 
coming  to  stay  there,"  replied  Camiola  with  a  teasing 
smile.  "I  must  warn  you,  though,  that  it  is  a  dangerous 
place,  by  all  accounts.  Likely  young  men  disappear  on 
the  mountain-side,  on  a  sunny  afternoon,  and  even  their 
bones  are  not  afterwards  to  be  found." 

"Oh,  Camiola,  don't  be  so  horrid !"  cried  Irmgard,  with 
a  laugh.  "Such  an  accident  has  only  happened  once,  Mr. 
Thurlow" — to  Neville's  odd  pleasure  she  pronounced  it 
"Turlow" — "and  the  young  man  was  not  much  to  be  re- 
gretted, if  what  they  say  of  him  in  the  neighbourhood  be 
true." 


38  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

"Why,  what  do  they  say?"  asked  Camiola-  "It  inter- 
ests me." 

"Oh,  that  he  drank  and  ruined  the  family,  and  all  kinds 
of  things." 

"Perhaps  his  disappearance  was  arranged — it  must 
have  been  very  convenient  for  the  survivors,"  laughed 
Camiola.  "What  is  the  theory  in  the  place  as  to  what 
became  of  the  party  ?" 

"Oh,  that  they  fell  into  some  cavern  without  a  bottom. 
There  is  a  place  there  known  as  the  Gaura  Draculuj." 

"The  what  ?"  cried  Camiola,  in  mock  horror,  adding 
aside  to  Neville :  "She  understands  Roumanian.  Isn't  it 
awful?" 

"Gaura  Draculuj  means  either  the  Devil's  Hole  or  the 
Dragon's  Hole,"  replied  Irmgard.  "Dragon  and  Devil  are 
the  same  word  in  Roumanian.  I  have  never  been  to  the 
place,  but  I  believe  it  is  very  horrible.  If  you  roll  a  rock 
in  over  the  edge  you  hear  it  bump,  bump,  bump,  each 
time  growing  fainter  and  fainter,  and  the  sound  dies  away 
very  gradually,  as  if  it  still  went  on  bumping,  but  too  far 
off  for  you  to  hear." 

"Horrible!"  said  Camiola  with  a  shudder,  "but  the 
whole  party  could  not  have  fallen  into  such  a  place,  unless 
they  deliberately  cast  themselves  in." 

"Or  were  dragged  in,"  answered  Irmgard  in  a  low 
voice. 

"Dragged  in !  "What,  by  the  wicked  young  man  who 
drank?" 

"Oh,  no." 

"Well,  tell  us  by  whom ;  tell  us,  Irmgard." 

Irmgard  grew  rosy  and  was  shy.  "I  will  not.  You 
will  only  laugh  at  me." 

"I  shall  not  laugh,  Fraulein  Maldovan,"  eagerly  said 
Neville. 

"Tell  us,  don't  be  silly,"  urged  Camiola  less  tenderly. 


NEVILLE   MAKES    A    MISTAKE     39 

"Oh,  they  say  on  the  mountain  that  there  are  things — 
creatures — monsters — I  don't  know.  Like  the  things  that 
lived  before  the  Flood.  Monster  lizards — what  you  call 
dragons.  They  say  one  lives  down  there,  and  that  if  peo- 
ple throw  down  rocks  they  make  him  angry." 

"Oh,  Irmgard,  how  horrible!"  cried  Camiola,  with  a 
real  shudder. 

Miss  Purdon  laid  down  her  cup  and  looked  incredulous. 
"Such  legends  are  not  uncommon  in  wild  districts,"  said 
she  composedly.  "Was  any  trace  of  the  missing  party 
ever  found?" 

"I  never  heard  of  it." 

"I  hope,"  remarked  Seville,  after  a  little  silence,  "that 
Miss — I  mean,  Fraulein  Maldovan  does  not  live  very  near 
the  abode  of  this  prehistoric  terror?" 

"Oh,  no,  miles  away,  in  a  not-romantic  spot,"  she  told 
him  laughingly. 

She  had  a  dimple  in  both  cheeks  when  she  laughed. 

Miss  Purdon  rose.  "It  is  a  very  creepy  legend,  I  own," 
said  she.  "But  we  must  cut  short  the  rest  of  it  now.  I 
know  you  will  forgive  us,"  she  went  on,  turning  to 
Neville  with  outstretched  hand,  "but  these  children  have 
their  packing  to  finish,  and  must  go  early  to  bed.  You 
must  positively  come  to  Ildestadt  yourself  and  collect  the 
legends  of  the  dragon." 

She  knew  that  he  could  not  come  without  Bassett,  as  he 
had  himself  no  knowledge  of  any  foreign  tongue,  and  in 
such  an  outlandish  place  English  would  be  of  no  use  at 
all. 

"I  think  that  is  a  really  good  idea,"  said  Camiola  hearti- 
ly. "We  will  write  to  you,  Xeville,  when  we  are  there, 
if  the  place  fulfils  our  expectations,  and  we  can  then 
reserve  rooms  for  you  in  the  inn.  I  suppose  it  would  not 
be  before  September?" 

"It  shall  be  as  soon  as  I  can  get  away,"  replied  the 


40  ACASTLETOLET 

young  man,  with  his  eyes  upon  Irmgard's  lowered  lids. 

He  walked  home  in  a  curious  state  of  mind.  He  de- 
cided to  tell  his  mother  that  to-day  had  not  been  auspi- 
cious for  pressing  his  suit,  as  Camiola  was  up  to  the  neck 
in  a  new  plan;  but  that  he  had  the  best  possible  grounds 
for  hope,  since  he  had  received  a  pressing  invitation  to 
spend  part  of  his  vacation  with  them  in  a  wild,  remote 
spot,  where  it  was  most  unlikely  that  Camiola  would 
come  across  anything  resembling  an  eligible  parti. 

His  father  and  mother,  he  feared,  would  be  as  strongly 
against  any  affair  between  himself  and  Irmgard  as  they 
had  been  against  his  youthful  fancy.  But  times  had 
changed.  He  was  now  a  man,  and  earning  his  own  liv- 
ing. Surely  his  marriage  depended  upon  himself  and 
not  upon  his  mother's  scheming ! 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  MEDIAEVAL  CITY 

THE  motor  slid  smoothly  along  the  good  wide  road 
bearing  Camiola  France  and  Miss  Purdon  ever  upward, 
though  by  almost  imperceptible  degrees,  from  the  hamlet 
of  Szass  Lona  to  that  walled  city  of  Ildestadt  described  by 
Murray  as  "probably  unmatched  in  Europe." 

They  had  just  left  Irmgard  in  the  bosom  of  her  family, 
and  the  shadow  of  the  Maldovan  anxieties  still  lingered 
over  Camiola  and  wrung  her  tender  heart. 

So  far  the  scenery  was  disappointing.  Irmgard  had 
spoken  truly  when  she  said  that  Szass  Lona  was  not  a  spe- 
cially beautiful  place.  It  was  a  scattered  village  of  the 
Alpine  type,  and  lay  in  a  wide  valley,  traversed  by  a  river 
the  waters  of  which  were  almost  obliterated  by  the  stoni- 
ness  of  the  bed  over  which — one  might  almost  say,  under 
which — it  flowed. 

In  the  direction  of  Ildestadt  the  prospect  facing  them 
as  they  travelled  was  bounded  by  a  bare  grassy  hillside,  in 
appearance  not  unlike  Carnedd  Llewelyn,  as  one  ap- 
proaches the  Nantfranggon  Pass  from  Capel  Curig.  It 
was  only  at  the  last  moment  that  they  had  determined  to 
take  Reed  and  the  car  with  them.  The  transit  had  been 
somewhat  troublesome,  but  they  were  now  rejoicing  over 
their  decision,  which  had  saved  them  six  hours  in  the 
journey  between  Hermannstadt  and  Szass  Lona. 

General  Maldovan  was  deeply  touched  by  the  kindness 
and  generosity  with  which  Camiola  had  brought  him  back 
his  daughter,  and  by  her  sympathetic  entering  into  his 

41 


42  ACASTLETOLET 

trouble.  His  wife  was  by  no  means  yet  out  of  danger,  and 
the  various  children,  of  different  ages,  looked  woebegone 
and  as  if  astray  in  a  world  where  "Miitterchen"  had  al- 
ways heretofore  presided.  Camiola  promised  them  fre- 
quent rides  in  the  car.  They  had  never  seen  one  before — • 
it  seemed  incredible ! 

The  two  ladies  had  been  travelling  since  early  morning, 
it  was  now  five  o'clock,  and  the  sun  was  beginning  to  de- 
cline westward.  On  that  side  the  valley  was  quite  open, 
and  the  warm  light  poured  upon  the  swelling  slopes  of 
the  big  irregular  grass  hill. 

Camiola  was  wondering  how  they  were  going  to  cross 
it.  There  seemed  to  be  no  road  ascending  upon  its  bare 
flank.  Then,  as  they  sped  onward,  she  saw  that  they  were 
going  to  slip  round  it  on  the  farther  side,  between  it  and  a 
huge  rocky  bastion  which  now  slowly  came  into  view.  Ere 
long  they  had  swept  with  caution  round  a  bend  of  the 
road  which  doubled  almost  flat  upon  itself;  and  the 
Ildenthal  lay  before  them. 

"A-a-ah  1"  ejaculated  Miss  France. 

High  above  them,  as  if  it  looked  down  upon  them  with 
aristocratic  contempt,  the  little  walled  town  lay  like  a 
coronet  upon  the  hillside.  It  sat,  so  to  speak,  in  the  lap 
of  the  hills,  which  held  protecting  arms  on  either  side. 
Behind  it,  the  pine  woods  went  up  as  far  as  the  tree  limit ; 
above  that  one  descried  the  bare  bones  of  the  mountain 
range. 

Far  up,  where  the  sun  slanted  across  and  touched  them 
with  fire,  Camiola  saw  white  towers  among  the  pines. 
"Look!  There  is  Orenfels,"  she  whispered;  why  she 
should  whisper  she  could  not  tell.  "Is  it  not  like  the 
castle  of  the  Sleeping  Beauty  ?" 

Seen  as  Camiola  saw  it  first,  in  that  fair  July  afternoon, 
the  beauty  of  the  scene  could  hardly  be  exaggerated.  Be- 
low the  city  the  Ildenfluss  made  an  almost  sheer  drop 

/ 


THE     MEDIAEVAL    CITY  43 

down  to  where  they  now  were ;  and  the  car  shot  to  and  fro 
upon  the  windings  of  the  road  like  a  tiny  shuttle  drawing 
a  silver  thread  across  a  woof  of  green  velvet,  as  the  girl 
thought  fancifully — now  leaving  the  torrent  far  behind, 
now  returning  so  close  that  the  roar  of  the  water  thun- 
dered in  their  ears — now  flying  off  again  among  the  rocks, 
and  presently  crossing  a  medieval  bridge,  where  a  rough- 
looking  toll-keeper  took  money  with  glances  of  interest 
and  suspicion  at  the  dainty  car. 

Just  outside  the  city  gates  Camiola  called  to  Reed  to 
stop,  that  she  might  gaze  down  from  the  last  bridge  at  the 
leaping,  roaring  waters  beneath. 

Three  separate  cascades  met  and  mingled  here  in  an 
everlasting  turmoil  of  sound  and  motion.  From  shelf  to 
shelf  the  water  leapt,  flinging  itself  headlong  with  seeth- 
ing and  roaring.  Lumps  of  spume  were  caught  by  the 
light  breeze  and  driven  against  the  bushes  that  clung 
hardily  to  the  steep — torn  and  wafted  away,  gone  as  soon 
as  seen. 

"Reed,"  said  his  young  mistress,  "have  you  any  idea 
where  the  railway  station  can  possibly  be?" 

"It's  right  down  in  the  valley,  miss,"  replied  the  chauf- 
feur. "I  made  it  out  on  the  map  while  you  was  at  Miss 
Maldovan's,  since  it's  no  good  expecting  a  sensible  word 
out  of  the  head  of  any  of  these  savages.  Miss  Marston's 
train  is  due  in  half  an  hour,  miss,  so  I  must  be  quick." 

"Yes,  yes!  Drive  us  straight  to  the  Blaue  Vb'gel,  and 
then  be  off  as  fast  as  you  can." 

In  a  minute  they  had  passed  under  an  archway  still 
provided  with  spikes  for  the  heads  of  criminals,  and  had 
entered  the  walled  city. 

It  was  easy  to  see  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  remote 
place  were  of  a  kind  peculiar  to  themselves.  There  were 
a  good  many  people  assembled  in  the  streets,  some  of  them 
extraordinarily  handsome,  and  wearing  a  distinctive  na- 


44  A    CASTLE    TO   LET 

tional  costume.  The  paved  street,  without  sidewalks,  had 
a  dip  in  the  centre,  doubtless  the  ancient  kennel  wherein 
the  city  drainage  had  flowed  not  so  long  ago.  The  min- 
gled scent  of  coffee  and  cabbage  water,  inseparable  from 
all  old  Continental  towns,  met  one  at  the  very  gate. 

The  buildings  were  fine.  Grand  old  houses,  with  pro- 
jecting gables  and  carved  barge  boards,  houses  which  had 
stood  for  three  or  more  centuries,  lined  the  route.  It  was 
but  a  small  place,  and  very  soon  they  debouched  upon  the 
market  square,  and  it  seemed  like  the  culmination  of  the 
increasing  sense  of  age  and  mystery. 

In  the  centre  stood  a  tall  thing  like  a  signpost  with 
eaves,  under  the  shadow  of  which  was  a  dim  dark  paint- 
ing. Below,  on  a  shelf,  burned  a  small  lamp ;  and  various 
bunches  of  flowers,  stuck  into  various  pots  and  jugs,  were 
arranged  as  votive  offerings.  It  was  not  market  day,  so 
there  were  but  few  stalls.  To  their  right  was  a  Stadthaus, 
its  handsome  solid  masonry  showing  the  industry  and  ca- 
pacity of  the  Saxon  townsfolk.  To  their  left  was  the  an- 
cient hostelry  known  as  the  Blaue  Vogel.  The  landlord 
stood  at  the  door,  and  there  was  quite  a  little  crowd 
around  him  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  foreign  guests. 
The  appearance  of  the  motor  caused  a  mild  sensation, 
such  as  the  passing  of  troops  might  do  in  London. 

The  very  faces  of  the  crowd  seemed  to  Camiola's  ex- 
cited fancy  unlike  any  she  had  seen  elsewhere.  One  old 
woman,  with  wide,  fixed  gaze,  drew  her  attention  espe- 
cially. Their  eyes  met,  and  the  girl  felt  her  heart  beat 
in  deep,  slow  throbs. 

They  had  a  glimpse  of  a  slender  church  tower  along  a 
side  street,  and  heard  the  soft  ringing  of  the  "Angelus"  as 
they  came  to  a  standstill  at  the  inn  doorway. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  cordial  than  their  wel- 
come. The  place,  though  very  old,  was  more  comfortably 
arranged  than  they  had  anticipated ;  for,  at  the  time  when 


THE     MEDIAEVAL    CITY  45 

it  was  hoped  that  Ildestadt  was  to  become  a  Kur-Ort, 
when  the  new  hotel  had  been  built,  and  the  mineral 
springs  exploited,  Herr  Neumann,  the  Saxon  host,  had 
added  to  his  venerable  hostelry  such  things  as  he  was  as- 
sured were  absolutely  necessary  to  the  comfort  of  the 
English.  The  legend,  "Warm  und  Kalt-wasser  Bdder  im 
Hause,"  was  painted  up  across  the  front  of  his  inimitable 
carved  gable. 

"Oh,  might  not  this  be  the  town  of  the  Pied  Piper,  just 
as  it  is!"  cried  Camiola.  "Do  you  remember  what  Irm- 
gard  said  of  his  coming  up  through  a  hole  in  a  mountain 
in  Transylvania,  leading  the  little  German  children,  and 
that  they  are  the  ancestors  of  these  Saxon  people?  I 
firmly  believe  that  legend  is  true !" 

The  food,  though  very  German,  was  exquisitely  clean 
and  well  cooked.  "Anything  for  a  change — even  stewed 
apricot  with  roast  veal,"  said  Camiola  with  resignation. 

Their  first  care,  on  arrival,  was  to  ask  if  any  member 
of  the  staff  possessed  a  word  of  English.  One  waiter,  Karl 
by  name,  was  produced,  and  the  Wirth  very  good-naturedly 
allowed  him  to  get  into  the  car  and  go  down  to  the  station 
with  Reed  to  help  him  with  his  orders  about  the  luggage. 

Karl's  vocabulary  was  limited,  but  Reed  and  he  just 
managed  to  understand  the  matter  in  question,  and  Mar- 
ston  duly  appeared,  a  couple  of  hours  later,  weary  but 
intact. 

The  moon  was  nearing  the  full  that  night;  and  later, 
when  alone  in  her  wonderful  old  room,  full  of  oaken 
presses,  and  panels  which  suggested  secret  doors,  Camiola 
opened  her  casement  to  the  silence  and  leaned  forth. 

The  city  lay  wrapped  in  slumber,  and  the  filmy  white 
light  spread  itself  tenderly  over  it.  She  conld  see  right 
across  the  market  square,  up  a  black  height  which  she 
knew  would  be  pines  by  daylight,  to  where  the  radiance 
softly  shone  upon  the  towers  of  Orenfels.  In  one  window 


46  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

of  one  tower  a  light  winked.  The  caretaker  up  there  kept 
later  hours  than  the  citizens  below. 

The  outlines  of  the  buildings  which  surrounded  the 
square  were  etched  in  deepest  black  against  the  light  be- 
hind. She  noted  that,  almost  facing  the  hotel,  but  in  the 
corner  of  the  square,  on  the  left  side  of  the  Stadthaus, 
there  was  what  looked  like  a  watch-tower.  As  far  as  she 
could  judge,  by  night,  it  was  far  older  than  any  of  the 
other  buildings  which  surrounded  it. 

Ah,  what  stories  the  old  town  could  tell  if  it  had  a  voice 
that  she  could  understand !  How  many  travellers  had  lain 
down  to  sleep  within  these  glossy  black  walls  which  now 
sheltered  her !  How  many  brides  of  the  Vajda-Maros  had 
ridden  in  through  the  old  stone  gateway!  How  many 
times  had  the  passing-bell  tolled  from  the  big  church  for 
the  soul  of  a  dead  overlord ! 

She  shuddered  with  a  nameless  thrill,  a  vague  stirring 
of  excitement  that  was  almost  like  premonition.  It 
seemed  to  her  that  she  was  more  at  home  here  in  this 
old-world  place,  full  of  incredible  legend,  than  she  had 
ever  felt  in  Truro  Gardens. 

She  watched  a  solitary  figure — a  woman's  figure — flit- 
ting noiseless  from  beneath  her  window,  to  the  dense 
black  shadow  on  the  farther  side  of  the  square.  When 
it  had  disappeared,  swallowed  in  the  darkness  of  the 
watch-tower,  nothing  stirred. 

Camiola  turned  reluctantly  from  the  window;  and, 
leaving  her  casement  open  to  the  moon,  she  cuddled  down 
in  her  comfortable  bed  and  fell  asleep. 

Presently  she  dreamed,  and  her  dream  was  horrible. 

She  seemed  to  be  once  more  standing  at  the  window 
overlooking  the  market  square,  when  she  saw  a  movement 
in  the  old  watch-tower  which  stood  in  the  opposite  cor- 
ner. Something  was  emerging  from  the  door  which  was 
in  the  angle  of  the  wall,  and  as  it  crawled  out  of  the  shadow 


47 

into  the  moonlight  she  saw  that  it  was  a  creature  like  a. 
long  glossy  black  snake,  but  with  legs  and  wings.  It 
crept  out  into  the  centre  of  the  square,  and,  pausing  there, 
raised  its  head  and  glared  in  at  her  window.  Fascinated 
she  stared,  and  it  stared  back. 

A  voice  behind  her  in  the  room  said,  "You  had  better 
shut  your  window,  hadn't  you?"  "I  think  not,"  she  re- 
plied doubtfully,  and  the  voice  behind  cried  hopefully. 
"Then  you  know  how  to  break  the  spell  ?"  "I  don't  know 
anything  about  a  spell,"  she  answered.,  puzzled ;  and  at  the 
same  moment  the  glossy  black  monster  slid  swiftly  along 
the  stones  below  till  it  reached  the  wall  of  the  inn  and 
began  to  climb  up.  ISTow  she  tried  to  shut  the  window, 
but  in  vain.  It  would  not  move,  and  in  her  dream  she 
never  thought  of  running  out  of  the  room.  She  heard  the 
swish  of  the  creature's  body,  pressed  close  to  the  wall  as  it 
came  up,  and  then  the  flat  black  head  reared  up  in  the 
moonlit  square  of  the  window  and  laughed  aloud. 

The  horror  awoke  her.  She  sprang  up  in  bed,  trem- 
bling with  fear,  to  find  the  summer  dawn  illuminating 
the  corners  of  the  room,  and  the  fresh,  sweet  air  caressing 
her  face. 

To  reassure  herself,  she  slipped  from  bed  and  ran  to 
the  window.  The  square  lay  glimmering  in  the  growing 
light,  and  a  man,  wearing  some  kind  of  wooden  sabots, 
clattered  past  on  the  cobble  stones.  The  old  watch-tower 
was  now  plainly  to  be  seen,  and  as  she  gazed,  the  little 
door,  like  a  postern,  from  which,  in  her  dream,  the  mon- 
ster had  emerged,  opened,  to  disclose  the  bent  form  of  an 
aged  woman,  with  a  kerchief  tied  over  her  hair,  who 
swept  some  dust  from  the  passage  within  out  into  the 
square.  She  did  not  look  up,  but  Camiola  had  a  strange 
fancy  that  she  was  conscious  of  her  presence  at  the  win- 
dow. She  was  the  old  woman  whose  eyes  had  met  her 
own  in  the  crowd  the  evening  before.  As  she  crept  back 


48  ACASTLETOLET 

to  bed  she  made  a  mental  memorandum  to  avoid  apricots 
and  veal  at  supper  time.  She  was  so  tired  that  she  slept 
again  almost  at  once,  and  this  time  dreamlessly,  awaken- 
ing only  when  Marston  stood  at  her  bedside  with  a  tray 
of  tea — real  English  tea — made  by  herself  over  a  spirit 
stove. 

"Marston,  you  are  a  wonder!  You  must  be  so  tired," 
said  Camiola,  rubbing  her  heavy  eyes. 

"I'm  never  one  to  sleep  late,  miss,"  replied  the  maid, 
"and  they  are  early  about  in  this  hotel.  A  queer  little 
place,  isn't  it,  miss?  But  the  folks  seem  friendly,  and 
when  I  can  say  a  few  words  I  shall  get  along  well  enough. 
Me  and  Reed,  we  got  Karl  to  tell  us,  as  we  came  up  in 
the  car,  what  hot  water  is,  and  boot-cleaning,  and  what 
time  is  it,  and  so  on." 

The  first  day  was  spent  in  motoring  down  to  Szass  Lona 
to  make  inquiries.  The  General's  wife  was  decidedly 
better,  though  far  from  being  out  of  danger.  Still,  she 
had  recognised  her  daughter,  and  apparently  the  sight 
of  her  had  done  real  good. 

Miss  France  carried  off  Conrad,  a  handsome  boy  of 
fourteen,  and  Hilda,  a  pretty  little  girl  of  nine,  for  the 
day.  They  lunched  at  the  Blaue  Vogel,  to  their  own  great 
satisfaction,  for  they  were  evidently  accustomed  to  a 
very  monotonous  life.  Conrad  was  delightfully  Anglo- 
phobe,  and  Camiola  enjoyed  teasing  him  a  little. 

On  the  morrow  the  news  was  equally  reassuring,  and 
Irmgard  was  urgent  that  they  should  not  come  at  all  the 
following  day,  but  make  an  excursion  to  Orenfels,  which 
she  knew  Camiola  was  longing  to  do.  She  promised  to 
send  a  bulletin  up  to  Ildestadt  by  the  evening  postman,  to 
say  exactly  how  her  mother  was,  so  that  they  might  find  a 
message  on  their  return. 

The  expedition  had  to  be  made  either  on  foot  or  on 


THE     MEDI/EVAL    CITY  49 

mule-back,  so  the  landlord  was  instructed  to  hire  mules. 
Reed  was  to  accompany  the  two  ladies  on  foot. 

They  had  to  take  provisions  for  the  day  with  them,  since 
Herr  Neumann  assured  them  that  they  could  obtain  noth- 
ing whatever,  either  to  eat  or  to  drink,  upon  their  journey. 

The  day  broke  in  cloudless  beauty,  and  after  breakfast 
they  found  their  steeds  awaiting  them.  They  were  hand- 
some mules,  glossy  and  well  fed,  and  the  harness  was  so 
elegant  that  Camiola  remarked  upon  it 

"How  unlike  the  creatures  one  gets  in  Switzerland," 
she  remarked. 

"These  belong  to  the  Graf  von  Orenfels,  the  Vajda- 
Maros,  who  is  overlord  of  Yndaia,"  replied  Herr  Neu- 
mann. "He  goes  up  to  the  castle  about  once  a  week  in  the 
good  weather,  BO  he  keeps  the  mules  for  that  purpose. 
However,  he  is  very  glad  to  hire  them  out  to  me.  There 
have  been  but  few  visitors  this  summer.  It  is  a  difficult 
journey,  true — but  one  is  rewarded  upon  arrival,  nicht 
wahr,  Fraulein."  He  waved  his  hand  eloquently. 

"If  this  place  were  in  Switzerland  people  would  go  wild 
over  it!"  said  Camiola  earnestly.  "It  is  like  a  bit  of 
the  Middle  Ages." 

"Middle  Ages!  Very  good,"  said  the  Herr  approv- 
ingly. "Nothing  changes  here.  Year  after  year  we  do  not 
change,  and  when  we  tried  to  change  the  Saints  did  not 
approve.  Will  you  believe,  Fraulein,  that  during  the  sea- 
son when  the  Kur-haus  was  opened  not  a  single  miracle 
was  performed  by  St.  Ildemund  at  his  holy  well  ?" 

Camiola  was  surprised.  "I  thought  all  the  Saxons  in 
Transylvania  were  Protestants?" 

The  landlord  looked  embarrassed. 

''Yes — but,  yes,  Fraulein,  that  is  quite  true.  There  is 
a  pastor  and  a  Protestant  Church  now  in  Ildestadt.  But 
we  who  have  lived  for  centuries  in  the  Ildenthal  are  not 
quite  like  the  dwellers  in  any  other  valley.  The  overlord 


50  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

of  Yndaia,  which  now  they  call  Orenfels,  ruled  over  us, 
even  after  we  joined  ourselves  to  Austro-Hungary.  He 
dispensed  the  higher,  lower  and  middle  justice  for  cen- 
turies. He  willed  that  the  old  faith  should  be  our  faith. 
Thus  it  is  that  in  this  valley,  as  nowhere  else  in  all  the 
country,  the  Roumanians  have  intermarried  with  the 
Saxons.  It  is  not  done  now.  ]STo.  But  it  was  done. 
Bertha  Esler,  who  takes  care  of  the  castle  of  Orenfels,  is 
half  Roumanian." 

As  he  spoke  he  had  mounted  both  the  ladies,  and  Cami- 
ola,  deeply  interested  in  his  talk,  begged  to  know  where 
the  holy  well  was  to  be  found. 

It  was  explained  that  they  would  pass  it  upon  the  as- 
cent, just  above  the  abandoned  Kur-liaus. 

They  started  in  high  spirits.  Mizpah,  who  was  any- 
thing but  fond  of  mule-riding  as  a  rule,  found  herself 
really  almost  comfortable  upon  her  fine,  sure-footed  beast ; 
and  Camiola  could  not  contain  her  admiration  of  the 
prettily  coloured  harness  and  fly-scarers  fixed  to  her  steed's 
head. 

The  muleteer  was  a  saturnine  person,  Erwald  by  name. 
When  introduced  to  the  English  ladies,  with  distinguished 
courtesy,  by  the  polite  Herr  Xeumann,  he  had  barely  ac- 
knowledged their  kindly  greeting.  He  set  out  in  com- 
plete silence,  and  after  asking  him  two  or  three  ques- 
tions and  obtaining  the  very  shortest  replies,  Camiola  left 
him  alone,  and  talked  English  with  Reed. 

Half  an  hour  upon  a  good  wide  path  lately  made  for  the 
purpose  of  conveying  tourists  and  their  luggage,  brought 
them  to  a  small  plateau  upon  which,  against  a  background 
of  black  woods,  the  barrack-like  hotel  had  been  erected. 

The  big  announcements,  in  huge  blue  letters,  across  its 
front  of  the  wclt-berillimte  nature  of  the  mineral  spring, 
and  the  quality  of  the  air,  had  a  pathetic  look.  How- 


THE     MEDIAEVAL    CITY  51 

ever  widely  famed,  the  advantages  of  the  place  had  failed 
to  draw  the  crowd. 

Just  beyond,  where  the  way  once  more  began  to  ascend, 
the  path  entering  the  woods,  stood  a  tiny  chapel.  It  was 
open  at  its  western  end,  and  was  large  enough  to  allow 
of  perhaps  three  persons  kneeling  in  it  at  once.  Close  to 
it  stood  a  stone  shrine,  with  a  very  ancient  carving  above 
it,  representing,  so  far  as  could  be  deciphered,  a  warrior 
saint,  in  the  act  of  treading  down  a  serpent,  or  dragon, 
which  he  was  vanquishing  with  the  aid  of  a  weapon  more 
nearly  resembling  a  pickaxe  than  anything  else.  "Either 
a  pickaxe  or  an  anchor,"  said  Camiola  thoughtfully,  hav- 
ing dismounted,  and  gone  near  to  examine. 

The  chapel  was  quite  clean,  and  upon  the  shrine,  hang- 
ing over  the  little  spring  which  flowed  below  it,  was  a 
chaplet  of  honey-coloured  banks ia  roses. 

"This  is  St.  Ildemund's  Well?"  asked  Camiola  of  the 
taciturn  Erwald. 

" Acli  ja,"  he  responded  gloomily. 

"It  is  rather  a  spring  than  a  well  ?" 

"Ja  ebeti.    Eine  Quelle." 

"Has  the  water  medicinal  properties?" 

"Das  ist  eine  heilige  Quelle,"  he  replied  reprovingly. 

"Of  course,"  admitted  Camiola  meekly.  "Who  keeps  it 
so  beautifully  and  puts  the  garland  on  it?" 

"It  is  Bertha  Esler,  who  takes  care  of  the  castle,  dort 
oben-." 

"She  is  a  good  woman,"  said  Camiola  admiringly.  So 
saying,  she  passed  into  the  little  chapel  and  knelt  a  few 
moments  in  prayer,  as  her  habit  was  when  the  chance 
offered.  The  muleteer  followed  her  with  his  eyes,  looking 
surprised.  The  chauffeur,  knowing  his  mistress's  ways, 
had  turned  his  back  and  was  gazing  down  the  woodland 
pathway  in  apparent  absence  of  mind.  Mizpah  sat  still 
upon  her  mule,  and  Camiola  made  her  prayer  to  the  ac- 


5S  A   CASTLE    TO   LET 

eompaniment  of  the  musical  tinkle  of  St.  IldemuncTs  well 
in  the  silence. 

When  she  arose  and  came  out  again,  Erwald  actually 
Yolunteered  a  remark  in  the  act  of  mounting  her. 

"Bertha  prays  daily  for  the  soul  of  her  young  master 
who  died  upon  the  mountain." 

Camiola  longed  to  inquire  the  details  of  the  tragedy, 
but  she  knew  and  felt  instinctively  that  the  moment  of  the 
man's  first  advance  was  the  moment  at  which  she  must 
not  ask  questions.  She  said  sympathetically,  "Indeed!" 
and  hoped  for  more ;  but  the  man  strode  on  in  silence. 

They  wound  upwards  through  woods  for  an  hour  or 
more,  and  then  Erwald  called  a  halt.  They  ate  some  cake, 
and  he  brought  them  exquisite  water  from  a  "Wasser- 
leitung"  which  flowed  in  the  hollowed  half -trunks  of  great 
pines,  and  was,  so  he  told  them,  the  spring  which  supplied 
the  Blaue  Vb'gel  with  drinking  water. 

Soon  they  went  on  once  more,  the  way  growing  steeper 
and  stonier.  They  were  out  of  the  woods  and  upon  the 
bare  mountain-side,  the  path  they  followed  having  been 
hewn  in  the  rocks  and  paved  with  large  stones  which  made 
anything  but  pleasant  walking  for  Reed.  The  valley 
grew  narrow,  the  roar  of  the  torrent  drowned  their  voices, 
and  a  great  loneliness  over-shadowed  the  mind  of  Camiola. 

She  had  no  wish  to  speak. 

Then,  turning  a  corner,  they  found  themselves  upon 
what  the  Swiss  would  call  an  Alp. 

Here,  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  mountain-side,  was 
a  level  space  of  grass  and  flowers. 

And  here,  desolate  and  impressive  in  the  hot  sunshine, 
there  lay  before  them  the  Castle  of  Orenfels. 


CHAPTER  V 

A  CASTLE  TO  LET 

THERE  was  a  delicious  perfume  of  new-mown  hay, 
and  in  the  meadow  just  before  them  two  or  three  peasants 
were  piling  it  into  little  haycocks,  while  in  the  shadow 
of  a  big  rock  which  cropped  up  in  the  middle  of  the  field, 
a  sleeping  baby  was  watched  over  by  a  dog,  who  also 
guarded  a  big  stone  jar  and  a  bundle  of  food.  These 
peasants  all  wore  the  national  dress,  and  were  as  evidently 
.Roumanian  as  the  gaunt  Erwald,  with  his  broad,  flat  face 
and  high  cheek  bones,  was  Saxon. 

Everybody  paused  in  their  work  and  stared  as  if  wholly 
amazed  at  the  appearance  of  the  tourist  party  round  the 
winding  of  the  path. 

Erwald  shouted  something  in  Roumanian,  and  was  an- 
swered in  apparent  disgust  by  the  labourers.  He  con- 
tinued his  remarks  as  he  approached,  and  they  continued 
to  argue.  At  last  one  of  the  party  flung  down  his  rake, 
moved  unwillingly  to  the  place  where  the  sleeping  baby 
lay,  took  up  a  coat,  into  which  he  wriggled  his  arms,  and 
turned  from  the  field  to  walk  at  the  muleteer's  side.  He 
was  a  young  man,  not  tall,  but  sturdy  like  all  the  peasants 
of  the  district,  and  moving  lightly  on  his  feet.  He  had 
the  regular  profile,  the  dignified  bearing,  the  unconscious 
aristocracy  of  his  race.  He  looked  at  the  English  ladies 
with  a  distinct  scowl,  which  almost  made  Camiola  laugh. 
She  said,  however,  politely,  in  her  pretty,  correct  Ger- 
man, "I  am  afraid  we  are  interrupting  your  work." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Doesn't  much  matter,"  he 
replied  indifferently. 

53 


54  ACASTLETOLET 

"Why  have  you  called  him  from  his  work  ?"  asked 
Camiola  reprovingly  of  Erwald. 

"It  is  young  Esler,  Bertha's  nephew.  It  is  his  place 
to  show  the  castle,"  replied  Erwald. 

"You  do  not  have  many  visitors?"  asked  the  girl  pret- 
tfily,  anxious  to  conciliate. 

"We  do  not,"  replied  young  Esler,  not  at  all  as  if  he 
regretted  the  fact.  Camiola  smiled  to  herself.  There  had 
been  a  buxom  maiden  among  the  haymakers,  and  she 
thought  she  could  guess  why  he  was  sulky. 

They  walked  their  mules  up  a  steepish  approach,  with 
buildings  upon  their  left,  which  looked  like  stabling  and 
a  porters  lodge.  Before  them  stood  a  huge  gateway, 
closed  with  formidable  iron-studded  portals,  in  one  of 
which  had  been  cut  a  little  door,  just  big  enough  to  admit 
a  man. 

Upon  the  large  gates  appeared  a  notice  printed  in  im- 
mense black  letters,  "Zu  vermiethen." 

"To  let!"  cried  Camiola  suddenly.  "Do  they  want  to 
let  the  castle?"  Erwald  looked  blank,  and  she  corrected 
herself,  saying  in  German :  "I  was  surprised.  I  did  not 
know  that  the  Graf  wanted  to  let  the  castle." 

Erwald  smiled  a  little  grimly. 

"I  do  not  think  that  he  will  easily  find  a  tenant,"  he 
replied,  as  he  held  his  hand  to  dismount  the  young  lady. 
-  All  this  part  of  the  castle  was  evidently  far  later  than 
twelfth  century.  In  fact,  it  was  like  English  Tudor  archi- 
tecture, and  reminded  Camiola  vividly  of  Haddon  Hall. 
She  remembered  what  she  had  read  in  "Murray,"  of  the 
Vajda-Maros  who  imported  an  English  architect. 

Young  Esler  turned  to  the  porter's  lodge  and  rang  an 
old  jangling  bell  which  hung  there.  They  waited,  while 
Erwald  walked  the  mules  a  little  way  down  the  slope, 
opened  a  stable  door,  and  led  them  in. 

The  note  of  the  bell  died  away  upon  the  warm  air,  and 


ACASTLETOLET  55 

nobody  came.  Young  Esler  did  not,  however,  seem  per- 
turbed, neither  did  he  ring  again.  He  probably  knew 
that  Bertha  had  some  way  to  journey  before  she  could 
reach  the  spot.  In  her  own  good  time  she  was  heard, 
pushing  up  a  little  sliding  shutter,  which  bore  the  inscrip- 
tion: "Eintntt,  1  Mark"  and  handing  through  a  large 
bunch  of  keys. 

The  young  man  said  something  to  her,  and  after  some 
demur  she  seemed  to  assent.  Then  he  closed  the  shutter 
and  preceded  the  two  ladies  to  the  little  door,  which  he 
unlocked,  signing  to  them  to  enter,  and  adding  a  caution 
to  stoop. 

They  found  themselves  in  a  square  courtyard  paved 
with  big  flags,  in  whose  cracks  the  golden-green  moss  and 
tiny  seedling  ferns  found  a  refuge. 

Pigeons  with  iridiscent  necks  were  strutting  about, 
preening  themselves  in  the  sunshine.  Two  sides  of  this 
court  were  Tudor,  the  other  two  certainly  belonged  to 
the  earlier  date.  On  the  right,  with  narrow  loophole 
windows,  were  the  ancient  servants'  or  men-at-arms'  quar- 
ters, and  in  the  corner  the  rough,  ancient,  hoary  keep. 
Facing  them  was  an  early  Gothic  chapel  and  the  build- 
ings connected  with  it.  To  the  left,  approached  by  a 
semi-circular  flight  of  steps,  low  and  shallow,  was  the 
main  door  of  entrance,  leading  evidently,  under  its  Tudor 
arch,  to  the  great  hall. 

Climbing  roses  grew  in  the  sunny,  sheltered  place,  and 
all  was  neat  and  well-cared-for. 

"I  will  first  show  you  the  keep,"  said  their  guide,  un- 
locking a  tiny  postern. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  Camiola  had  ever  been  inside 
a  keep  which  was  not  a  ruin.  The  interior  of  this  place 
had  been  modified,  probably  at  the  time  the  sixteenth 
century  portion  was  added,  to  provide  accommodation  for 
a  large  household. 


56  ACASTLETOLET 

The  windows  were  unglazed,  the  walls  bare  stone,  but 
the  floors  were  sound.  The  narrow  wooden  beds,  if  not 
as  old  as  the  boards,  were  certainly  venerable. 

Camiola's  eyes  were  everywhere,  yet  she  felt  that  she 
was  having  only  a  cursory  survey.  She  intended  to  know 
the  old  place  far  more  intimately  before  she  had  done  with 
it.  That  magic  legend,  "Zu  vermieihen,"  was  dancing 
before  her  eyes.  Would  they  let  for  a  short  period  ?  As 
short  as  one  summer,  she  wondered  ? 

The  chapel  was  next  seen,  all  as  reverently  kept  as  the 
little  woodland  shrine  had  been.  The  brass  candlesticks 
were  polished,  the  flowers  bright,  and  the  whole  place  was 
gay  with  pictures — a  mass  of  soft,  warm  colouring,  al- 
most Oriental  in  effect.  The  visitors  noticed  more  than 
one  representation  of  the  Devil-dragon,  or  Dragon-devil, 
of  the  legend  woven  into  the  profuse  ornament. 

Thence  their  guide  led  them  out  into  the  terraced  gar- 
dens, which  lay  upon  the  southwest  open  slope  of  the  hill, 
and  were  full  of  flowers.  The  honey-coloured  banksia 
rose,  whence  the  garland  that  hung  before  St.  Ildemund 
had  been  made,  smothered  the  wall  under  one  oriel  win- 
dow, and  Camiola  pointed  it  out  to  Mizpah  with  a  smile. 

She  felt,  as  she  sat  down  to  rest  upon  a  carved  stone 
seat  facing  a  rose-bordered  bowling  green,  as  though  the 
one  thing  she  really  desired  was  to  have  for  her  own  the 
room  with  the  oriel  that  looked  out  upon  this  scene. 

"Why  does  the  muleteer  think  that  the  Graf  will  not 
find  a  tenant  for  this  lovely  place?"  she  asked  impetu- 
ously. 

"Because  there  is  no  road  for  motors,"  replied  Eslcr, 
standing  before  her  with  his  bunch  of  keys.  Ildestadt 
itself  is  much  out  of  the  way  and  hard  to  reach ;  and  even 
when  you  have  got  so  far,  to  ascend  hither  on  mule-back 
takes  many  hours.  We  had  an  American  millionaire,  the 
year  before  last,  who  declared  he  would  make  a  road ;  but 


ACASTLETOLET  57 

even  lie  was  daunted  by  the  cost.  His  wife  said  it  was 
not  worth  it,  to  come  and  be  buried  in  such  a  place.  She 
also  feared  ghosts." 

As  he  added  this  information  he  smiled  for  the  first 
time,  very  faintly,  showing  even,  short  teeth 

Camiola  smiled  in  response.  "Of  course,  you  have 
ghosts  here,"  she  said. 

He  seemed  to  fold  himself  up  again  in  a  moment,  and 
replied  conventionally,  "So  it  is  said.  I  have  not  seen 
them." 

"Where  are  they  to  be  seen  ?"  asked  Camiola. 

"I  shall  in  due  course  show  you  the  haunted  chamber," 
he  replied  primly. 

They  went  indoors.  The  dining  hall  was  fine,  with  a 
minstrels'  oaken  gallery,  and  the  ancient  trestle  tables  at 
which  the  retainers  had  probably  sat  at  the  time  of  the 
first  building  of  the  castle.  A  wide  oak  stair  led  up  to  the 
drawing-room ;  and  there  Camiola  just  gave  a  little  cry  and 
ran  to  the  window. 

This  was  the  oriel — big  enough  to  hold  a  gate-leg  table 
and  a  semi-circular  window-seat  in  carven  wood — over- 
looking the  sunny  gardens  and  away  down  the  blue  valley 
to  the  towered  walls  of  the  mediaeval  city. 

Faded  tapestries  covered  the  walls,  faded  carpets  the 
oaken  floor,  the  furniture  was  scanty  and  stately,  the 
carved  chimney-piece  bore  the  date  1561. 

They  put  in  a  porcelain  stove  in  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury," said  Esler,  "but  the  late  Graf  had  it  taken  away. 
He  thought  it  spoilt  the  room." 

"Wise  man !"  cried  Camiola. 

"It  is,  nevertheless,  very  cold  here  in  winter,"  was  the 
somewhat  crushing  comment  of  the  young  peasant. 

The  bedrooms  were  perhaps  the  weak  point  of  the 
house.  They  were  mostly  small  and  dark,  and  they 
opened  into  each  other  in  an  inconvenient  way.  A  large 


58  ACASTLETOLET 

family  could  not  have  been  installed  unless  one  made  use 
of  the  rough  accommodation  of  the  keep. 

There  were,  however,  one  or  two  state  chambers  of 
better  dimensions,  and  Camiola  thought  it  would  be  pos- 
sible to  make  Arnold  Bassett  and  Seville  comfortable. 
She  had  gone  so  far  upon  the  road  of  her  new  idea ! 

Hot  water  and  lighting,  she  reflected,  as  she  descended 
the  stairs,  would  be  the  main  difficulties ;  but  labour  in 
that  part  of  the  world  was  doubtless  not  dear. 

As  they  re-entered  the  hall  they  saw  that  Bertha  Esler 
and  Erwald  were  both  there.  Bertha  had  laid  a  clean 
cloth  upon  one  end  of  the  trestle  table,  and  was  unpack- 
ing from  Erwald's  basket  the  provisions  that  Frau  Xeu- 
mann  had  provided. 

"Oh,  Mizpah,  how  nice !"  was  the  girl's  pleased  excla- 
mation. "You  are  very  good  to  give  yourself  so  much 
trouble,"  she  added  in  German  to  Bertha. 

"The  Herrschaften  are  welcome,"  replied  Bertha  very 
gravely.  "It  is  more  wholesome  to  eat  at  table  than 
sitting  upon  the  grass." 

Camiola  was  not  sure  that  she  agreed ;  but  when  it  was 
a  question  of  eating  in  this  wonderful  old  place,  gazing 
round  at  the  antlers  and  weapons,  and  breathing,  as  it 
were,  the  atmosphere  of  the  past,  there  could  be  no  idea 
of  her  preferring  to  be  elsewhere. 

"AVhat  about  Reed  ?"  asked  Miss  Purdon. 

"Oh,  give  him  his  portion  and  let  him  go  and  eat  it 
outside,"  replied  Camiola,  putting  rolls  and  chicken  and 
ham  together.  "You  would  rather,  wouldn't  you,  Reed  ? 
Do  you  speak  English  ?"  she  went  on,  turning  to  young 
Esler. 

"Xo,"  he  replied  with  a  flash  of  resentment,  much  as 
though  she  had  asked  him,  "Do  you  steal  or  tell  lies  ?" 

She  laughed  in  much  amusement.  "Reed,  you  will 
have  to  learn  German,  or  perhaps  Roumanian,  and  stand 


ACASTLETOLET  59 

up  for  your  country,"  said  she.  "Here  is  an  Anglophobe 
for  you  of  the  first  quality.  When  you  drink  your  wine, 
lift  your  glass  and  cry:  'Es  lebe  das  England!  Hoch, 
England!'  and  see  what  he  will  say." 

The  retainers  withdrew  and  left  the  two  ladies  to  lunch 
in  silence. 

Camiola'a  brain  was  so  busy  that  she  said  nothing  at 
all  for  a  long  time,  but  gazed  out  across  the  courtyard 
from  the  diamond-paned  window,  whose  tops  were  glow- 
ing with  the  heraldic  blazoning  of  the  Vajda-Maros.  At 
last  she  said : 

"Mizpah,  tell  me  truly,  what  impression  does  this  place 
make  upon  you?" 

"I  think  it  most  interesting.  There  is  such  a  fascina- 
tion about  its  being  so  deserted,  so  out  of  fashion,  as  you 
may  say,"  replied  Miss  Purdon.  "Even  the  American 
millionaire  sounded  wrong.  I  resented  his  introduction, 
though  he  has  been  so  obliging  as  to  take  himself  off.  You 
know  what  I  mean." 

"Exactly.  That  is  the  feeling  one  has.  Of  having  dis- 
covered Ildestadt,  above  all,  of  having  discovered  Oren- 
fels,"  replied  Camiola.  "I  hardly  dare  to  suggest  it — it 
sounds  so  wild — but  I  do  feel  as  if  I  badly  want  to  take 
this  place  for  a  few  weeks.  I  wonder  if  they  would  let 
it  for  a  short  term,  or  if  you  think  me  stark  mad  to  wish 
to  have  it  3" 

Miss  Purdon  smiled.  "Women  are  curious  creatures," 
she  replied,  "and  I  have  to  own  that  a  week  ago  I  might 
have  thought  you  foolish  to  contemplate  such  a  step.  You 
would  never  guess  the  reason  which  prompts  me  now  to 
think  that  I  should  like  a  move!  It  is  because  I  do  not 
sleep  at  all  comfortably  at  the  Blaue  Vogel." 

"Mizpah !  But  why  did  you  not  say  so  ?  My  own  bed 
is  most  comfy ;  I  will  complain  at  once " 

"Oh,  it  isn't  the  bed.    That,  as  you  say,  is  most  comfy. 


60  A    CASTLE    TO   LET 

It  is  something  in  the  atmosphere,  either  of  the  room,  or 
the  house,  or  the  town  which  is — which  is — which  is — 
well,  not  comfy  at  all." 

Camiola  did  not  reply,  but  her  parted  lips  and  eager 
eyes  invited  more. 

"I  have  had  dreams,"  said  Mizpah. 

"That  is  the  suppers,  isn't  it?"  asked  Camiola.  "I 
had  a  nightmare  the  first  night,  and  put  it  down  to  the 
menu." 

"So  did  I,"  replied  her  friend  in  a  voice  which  clearly 
meant  that  she  thought  this  a  mistaken  verdict. 

"What  did  you  dream?"  asked  Camiola,  after  an  in- 
terval. 

"My  dreams  seem  always  connected  with  that  queer 
little  old  house  that  faces  us  across  the  market  square — 
the  house  with  a  tower." 

"I  know,"  replied  Camiola  quickly. 

"I  had  a  most  horribly  circumstantial  dream  of  a  witch- 
burning  the  other  night.  I  hardly  know  at  this  moment 
whether  to  call  it  a  dream  or  a  vision.  There  were  things 
in  it  that  I  do  not  think  I  could  have  invented.  The  stake 
was  planted  just  in  front  of  that  shrine,  or  whatever  you 
call  it,  where  the  people  put  flowers,  and  the  woman  was 
brought  on  a  flat  cart.  She  was  huddled  together  and 
seemed  half  dead  with  fear.  Four  men  held  her  while  she 
was  tied  up.  It  was  indescribably  awful,  but  I  had  to 
look.  When  she  was  fast  bound,  a  messenger  ran  to  the 
tower  house,  and  there  marched  out  in  procession  a  whole 
family — father,  mother,  sons,  daughters — and  the  old  man 
who  seemed  to  be  the  head  of  the  family  had  a  lighted 
torch  handed  to  him,  and  actually  set  fire  to  the  straw! 
I  woke  up  kicking,  fighting,  almost  screaming  out  loud !" 

The  dignified  lady  coloured  quite  hotly  as  she  admitted 
how  deeply  a  mere  dream  had  had  power  to  affect  her. 

"It  is  queer  that  my  nightmare,  too,  was  connected  with 


ACASTLETOLET  61 

that  house,"  remarked  Camiola.  "Mine  was  not  so  bad 
as  yours — it  was  too  silly  to  be  really  bad.  Yours  is  per- 
fectly horrible." 

"It  was.  I  have  dreamed,  too,  of  somebody  who  went 
into  the  tower  house,  and  I  was  told,  or  found  out,  that  he 
was  never  seen  to  emerge.  I  dreamed  that  I  stood  out 
there  watching,  to  see  whether  he  would  come,  and  in  the 
darkest  part  of  a  very  dark  night  I  saw  them  carry  out 
a  dead  body.  .  .  .  The  curious  part  of  it  all  is,  that  I 
never  remember  taking  any  particular  notice  of  that  house 
while  I  was  awake.  There  is  nothing  very  remarkable 
about  it." 

"It  is  quite  queer,"  reflected  Camiola.  "Anyhow,  it  is 
not  pleasant  to  have  bad  dreams,  because,  if  one  goes  to 
sleep  in  the  fear  of  them,  they  often  come.  Also  it  seems 
to  be  setting  in  very  hot,  and  Ildestadt  is  shut  in — there 
is  no  garden  to  the  inn,  and  the  town  sanitation  is  what 
Uncle  Remus  would  describe  as  'powerful  lackinY  I 
feel  as  if  we  should  breathe  better  up  here  if  we  can  per- 
suade them  to  let  it  for  a  short  while." 

"You  can  hardly  go  away  altogether  and  leave  Irmgard 
in  such  anxiety,"  replied  Mizpah.  "Really,  yesterday  I 
felt  so  perturbed  in  my  mind  that  I  was  ready  to  suggest 
deserting  her.  This  would  be  a  better  plan.  If  we  moved 
up  here,  you  would  need  to  hire  mules  for  us  all,  and  I 
dare  say  we  might  have  to  put  up  with  minor  inconveni- 
ences. But  we  should  have  the  free  air  of  heaven  in 
which  to  breathe,  a  garden  full  of  roses  in  which  to  be 
lazy,  and  we  should  be  out  of  sight  of  the  tower  house, 
which  seems  to  me  to  be  the  centre  of  the  baleful  influ- 
ence." 


CHAPTER  VI 

ESLER    MAKES   A  BANG 

HAVING  finished  their  lunch,  the  two  ladies  made  their 
way  out  into  the  gardens  once  more,  and  Miss  Purdon 
sat  down  upon  the  stone  seat,  while  Camiola  stretched 
her  slim  length  upon  the  ground  at  her  feet. 

They  talked  seriously  of  the  plan  of  becoming  for  a 
time  tenants  of  this  wonderful  place — assigning  the  bed- 
rooms, discussing  the  advisability  of  sending  to  England 
for  their  own  servants,  and  facing  the  question  of  baths 
and  hot  water. 

"After  all,  hot  water  is  a  mere  question  of  fires  enough, 
and  kettles  enough,  and  people  enough  to  look  after  them," 
said  Mizpah. 

"And  fuel  enough — but  I  should  think  wood  is  cheap 
hereabouts." 

"Yes.  The  one  master  question,  as  to  a  suflacient  water 
supply,  ought  to  be  easily  answered.  There  seem  to  be 
springs  everywhere." 

"We  shall  have  to  leave  the  motor  in  the  garage  at  the 
Blaue  Vogel  and  let  Reed  live  here  with  us.  He  would 
be  too  miserable  down  in  the  town  by  himself." 

"Yes.  I  am  inclined  to  think  we  had  better  engage  our 
whole  staff  from  hereabouts,  except  for  him  and  Marston. 
Mrs.  Blagg  would  be  worse  than  useless  here — pampered 
London  thing!" 

"I  agree  with  you,"  replied  Mizpah.  "We  must  have 
a  native  cook  who  will  keep  house  for  us,  if  such  a  creature 
is  to  be  had.  One  would  not  know  the  sort  of  thing  you 

62 


ESLER    MAKES    A    BANG  63 

can  obtain  in  such  a  spot,  and  the  language  difficulty  alone 
would  make  an  English  cook  impossible.'' 

As  they  talked  it  really  seemed  as  if  the  idea,  which  had 
first  presented  itself  as  a  wild  chimera,  might  become 
practicable  with  a  little  study. 

After  a  while  the  sunny  sleepiness  of  the  place  made 
Camiola  drowsy.  Her  voice  died  away,  and  for  a  few 
mimites  she  dropped  into  unconsciousness.  She  awoke 
with  the  start  which  one  sometimes  experiences  at  the 
idea  that  somebody  is  watching.  Before  her  on  the  grass 
stood  the  graceful,  well-knit  form  of  the  young  peasant, 
Esler,  his  gaze  bent  seriously  upon  her  sleeping  face.  As 
she  sat  up,  brushing  her  eyes  with  her  hand,  she  saw  him 
colour  and  lower  his  lids,  as  though  he  knew  he  had  been 
looking  at  her  as  a  man  may  look  upon  a  maiden,  and  not 
as  an  inferior  at  his  social  superior.  The  idea  rather 
pleased  her,  for  she  had  been  sensible  of  a  kind  of  smoth- 
ered hostility  in  his  former  bearing.  Her  position  was, 
however,  a  trifle  undignified,  and,  glancing  at  the  bench, 
she  found  that  Mizpah  had  strolled  away. 

Leaping  lightly  to  her  feet,  she  asked,  "Is  it  time  to 
return  ?" 

He  looked  surprised.  "The  Fraulein  does  not,  then, 
desire  to  see  the  cavern  ?" 

"Oh!"  cried  Camiola  with  sparkling  eyes,  "I  did  not 
know  that  you  had  a  cavern  to  show!  By  all  means  let 
us  see  it.  Do  you  know  where  the  lady  is  '?" 

Miss  Purdon  had  not  gone  far — merely  as  far  as  the 
Renaissance  stone  balustrade,  upon  which  one  could  lean 
elbows  and  gaze  down  upon  the  valley  below. 

She  did  not,  however,  take  kindly  to  the  cavern  idea. 
She  thought,  if  Camiola  would  excuse,  she  would  remain 
upon  the  stone  bench  and  read  her  book.  The  chauffeur 
would  look  after  his  young  mistress. 

Camiola  assented  readily  to  this,  for  Mizpah  was  not 


64  ACASTLETOLET 

active.  Reed  was  summoned,  and  the  three  set  out  to- 
gether, retracing  their  steps  to  the  courtyard,  and  thence 
to  the  postern  door  of  the  keep. 

Here  they  found  that  three  tin  candlesticks  with  metal 
backs,  each  containing  a  dirty  tallow  candle,  had  been 
placed.  Esler  gathered  them  up,  carried  them  with  him 
into  the  keep,  and  unlocked  a  little  door  in  the  wall  of 
the  lowest  room.  This  done,  he  lit  the  candles,  handed 
one  to  each  of  his  companions,  and  bade  them  follow, 
treading  carefully  lest  the  steps  were  damp. 

"Then  this  rock — upon  which  the  fortress  was  built — is 
actually  full  of  caves?"  asked  the  girl,  as  she  carefully 
descended. 

"Full  of  them,"  replied  Esler.  "They  made  excellent 
prisons  in  the  early  days  of  Yndaia." 

They  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  he  unlocked 
another  door.  This  led  them  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
mountain.  For  some  distance — perhaps  three  hundred 
yards,  or  more — they  were  in  a  tunnel  which  had  been 
artificially  enlarged  to  enable  a  man  to  walk  upright. 
Then  they  came  out  into  a  curious  place.  The  candles 
showed  a  tumbled  mass  of  boulders  all  about  them,  a  ver- 
tical wall  of  rock  on  their  left,  and  to  their  right  a  black 
lofty  space,  whose  top  the  lights  could  not  illumine. 

"Blow  out  your  lights,  if  you  please,"  said  young  Esler 
in  his  peculiarly  gentle  tones.  "I  will  rekindle  them  for 
you  in  a  moment,  but  I  want  you  to  see  a  certain  effect." 

When  they  had  obeyed,  raising  their  eyes  at  his  direc- 
tion, they  saw  at  a  great  height  upon  their  right  a  far 
blue  glimmer,  descending  in  slanting  fashion  towards 
them.  As  their  eyes  grew  used  to  it  they  saw  that  it 
was  a  small  filter  of  daylight.,  and  that  it  entered  hic.li 
above  them,  and  shone  down  over  a  slope  covered  with 
tumbled  rocks  and  stones. 

"That  is  where  the  water  comes  in,"  went  on  the  clr-ar 


ESLER    MAKES    A    BANG  65 

voice.  "In  the  course  of  ages  it  has  brought  down  all 
these  loose  rocks  that  you  see.  On  your  left  is  a  solid  wall 
of  rock,  with  only  a  small  outlet  at  its  base.  The  water 
finds  a  way  through,  but  the  stones  are  left  behind." 

"There  is  no  water  now,"   remarked  Camiola. 

"Only  after  rain,"  he  replied  tranquilly. 

So  saying,  he  relit  the  candles  and  led  the  way  on  past 
the  great  slope  of  stones. 

"Can  one  go  up  it  ?"  asked  Camiola. 

"If  the  Fraulein  wishes,  we  will  go  out  that  way  upon 
our  return,"  he  answered,  "and  regain  the  castle  by  a 
wood-path." 

They  went  on  down  a  tunnel  where  they  had  to  stoop 
from  time  to  time.  Esler  called  their  attention  to  the  nat- 
ural archways  which  the  water  had  hollowed  for  itself, 
and  the  small  circular  domes  in  the  roof  formed  by  its 
swirlings. 

Presently  a  pretty,  gentle,  murmuring  sound  made  itself 
heard — the  soft  singing  of  water  flowing  somewhere. 
Turning  a  corner,  they  came  upon  it.  It  flowed  in  a 
channel  about  six  feet  wide,  leaving  a  narrow  pathway 
on  one  side  along  which  they  could  walk  dry-shod.  At 
the  spot  where  they  first  saw  it,  it  disappeared  under  a 
very  low  arch  into  the  rock. 

"That,"  said  young  Esler,  "is  the  stream  which  sup- 
plies the  castle.  From  the  place  at  which  you  stand  to 
the  point  at  which  it  emerges  from  the  mountain  would 
take  you  ten  minutes  to  walk  if  you  walked  straight  there 
from  here.  We  once  put  some  colouring  matter  into  the 
water  at  this  point.  It  was  an  hour  and  a  half  before  it 
came  out  at  the  other  end." 

Camiola,  deeply  interested,  translated  all  the  informa- 
tion to  Iteed.  Esler  warmed  to  his  work.  Evidently  this 
cavern  was  the  great  interest  of  his  life.  He  led  them 
along  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  by  the  brink  of  the  purl- 


66  ACASTLETOLET 

ing  stream.  It  seemed  hard  to  believe  that  this  subter- 
ranean corridor  was  natural;  but  he  assured  them  that  it 
was.  Presently  they  reached  the  place  whence  it  emerged 
from  the  rock  as  mysteriously  as  it  later  disappeared 
therein. 

"You  have  now,"  said  Esler,  "three  or  four  thousand 
feet  of  rock  above  your  heads.  The  echo  of  a  sudden  noise 
just  at  this  spot  is  very  curious.  If  you  will  wait  a  mo- 
ment, Ich  will  eine  Erschutterung  machen" — (make  an 
explosion  or  crash). 

He  lit  a  small  piece  of  magnesium  wire  from  the  flame 
of  his  candle,  went  a  few  paces,  let  it  fall  upon  the  ground, 
and  set  his  foot  upon  it.  "A  million  horrible  bellowing 
echoes  woke,"  and  Camiola,  for  a  moment,  felt  her  heart 
go  into  her  mouth,  though  she  knew  in  her  inmost  being 
that  the  young  man  must  be  well  accustomed  to  the  result 
of  such  a  proceeding. 

She  stood  very  still  as  the  maker  of  the  shattering  noise 
tranquilly  reapproached  her. 

"Was  it  here?"  she  asked  tremulously,  "that  the  ex- 
ploring party  was  lost  ?" 

He  turned  away  as  if  she  had  suddenly  rebuffed  him. 
"Oh,  no,"  he  replied  sulkily. 

"Then — then  the  place  you  call  the  Gaura  Draculuj  is 
not  in  this  part  of  the  mountain  ?" 

He  turned  and  looked  at  her.  "Who  spoke  to  you, 
Fraulein,  of  the  Gaura  Draculuj  ?" 

"The  Fraulein  Maldovan." 

"Ach  so!  The  Fraulein  is  a  friend  of  the  Herr  Gen- 
eral's family?" 

"Yes.     That  is  what  brought  me  to  Ildestadt." 

He  nodded,  as  if  such  a  proceeding  did  indeed  need  ex- 
planation, and  was  now  plausibly  accounted  for.  "Thf 
Gaura  Draculuj  is  a  long  way  from  here,"  he  replied, 
trimming  the  wick  of  his  candle.  Then  he  raised  it  abort? 


ESLER   MAKES    A    BANG  67 

his  head.  "The  height  of  this  cavern,  where  we  now 
stand,  has  never  been  ascertained,"  he  said.  "But,  in 
spite  of  its  height,  this  place  is  very  quickly  flooded. 
Several  days'  heavy  rain  fills  all  the  tunnel,  and  it  was 
here  that  those  whom  the  overlord  wished  to  get  rid  of 
quietly  were  confined.  As  we  return — for  we  can  get  no 
farther  in  this  direction — I  will  show  you  the  sliding  door 
by  which  the  victim  was  shut  in.  It  is  not  a  door,  but  a 
grating,  so  that  the  flood  water  could  eventually  escape, 
but  it  had  plenty  of  time  to  drown  a  man  first." 

"What  fiends  they  were  in  those  days!"  muttered  the 
girl  passionately. 

"We  must  remember,"  replied  the  young  man  thought- 
fully, "that  our  modern  apparatus  of  law  was  not  avail- 
able to  them.  They  made  their  own  justice,  and  often  it 
was  better  justice  than  the  kind  which  is  now  dealt  out 
by  the  cartload  from  the  hands  of  a  government  which 
has  no  personal  knowledge  of  the  people's  wants." 

There  was  an  edge  of  bitterness  in  his  voice.  The  girl 
reflected  that,  even  though  he  was  as  she  supposed  a  Saxon, 
yet  he  served  the  true,  Roumanian  owners  of  the  country. 
Naturally,  her  own  connection  with  the  Hungarian  Gov- 
ernment official  would  not  endear  her  to  him. 

She  smiled  rather  teasingly  at  him.  "You  defend  the 
feudal  tyrannies?"  she  inquired. 

"The  Eslers  have  served  the  overlords  of  Yndaia  for 
many  generations,"  he  snapped,  turning  as  if  with  a  de- 
termination to  trifle  no  longer  with  this  foreigner,  and 
striding  back  along  the  way  they  had  come. 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  large  cavern  with  the 
slope  of  loose  stones  he  had  regained  his  good  temper,  and 
he  was  very  courteous  and  capable,  holding  the  candle  to 
show  the  girl  a  kind  of  faint  track,  worn  among  the  rough 
fragments,  which  wound  to  and  fro  upon  the  difficult 
ascent 


68  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

Light  and  active,  she  made  nothing  of  it,  and,  though 
he  did  not  presume  to  speak,  she  felt  that  he  admired  her 
agility. 

They  crawled  out  through  the  low  aperture  which  ad- 
mitted the  blue  glimmer,  and  as  they  emerged  Camiola 
thought  the  world  had  never  looked  so  glorious,  so  vividly 
coloured,  in  all  her  life  before.  They  were  in  a  charm- 
ing little  wood  upon  the  mountain-side,  and  the  sun  was 
pouring  through  the  light  foliage  of  young  larches,  and 
beginning  to  ripen  into  scarlet  the  glossy,  slim  berries  of 
the  barberry  bushes  which  grew  here  in  profusion.  The 
sky  seemed  bluer  than  sky  usually  is,  and  Camiola  sank 
upon  the  moss  with  a  long  sigh,  oddly  blent  with  a  smile 
of  delight,  recalling  to  herself  the  "ballad  of  Reading 
Jail."  For  a  moment  the  shadow  of  the  prison  grate  "that 
slurs  the  sunshine  half  a  mile"  lay  upon  her  spirit,  and 
the  prayer  for  all  prisoners  and  captives  took  a  new  mean- 
ing. 

"How  beautiful  everything  looks,"  said  she  slowly. 

Reed,  blinking  at  the  daylight,  grinned  sympathetically. 
"Does  seem  friendly,"  he  remarked.  "3ace  lot  these  for- 
eigners are,  seemin'ly,  shutting  up  prisoners  to  drown  like 
rats  in  a  hole." 

"Oh,  but  that  was  in  the  Middle  Ages;  and  we  were 
every  bit  as  bad  in  England  then.  Have  you  never  seen 
that  black  hole  in  the  Curfew  Tower  at  Windsor,  where 
vou  were  shut  up  without  light,  food  or  air,  and  just  left 
to  die?" 

"Glad  I  wasn't  born  in  those  times,  miss,"  was  the 
contented  reply. 

Esler  suddenly  knelt  down  in  the  moss  at  her  feet,  and, 
with  a  murmured  "Excuse  me,"  took  a  bit  of  her  skirt  in 
his  hand.  Glancing  down,  she  saw  that  she  had  allowed  a 
shower  of  grease  from  her  candle  to  fall  upon  the  tweed. 
The  young  man  drew  a  knife  from  his  pocket  and  care- 


ESLER    MAKES    A   BANG  69 

fully  detached  the  dry  tallow,  she  watching  him  the  while 
in  a  fascinated  way,  pondering  his  quiet  self-possession, 
which  she  found  attractive.  When  he  had  removed  the 
last  fragment,  he  produced  a  clothes-brush  and  removed 
the  dust  from  her  hems. 

She  thanked  him,  smiling,  as  she  rose  from  the  ground, 
but  he  was  leading  the  way  and  seemed  not  to  hear. 

They  soon  made  their  way  down  the  hillside,  and  their 
guide  admitted  them  into  the  castle  through  a  tiny  door 
which  led  into  the  chapel  sacristy. 

They  found  that  Erwald  had  saddled  the  mules  and 
that  Mizpah  was  awaiting  them,  making  somewhat  la- 
borious efforts  to  converse  with  Frau  Esler,  who  seemed 
extremely  reserved. 

Camiola,  with  a  word  of  graceful  thanks,  put  a  gold 
piece  into  the  woman's  hand,  and  gave  another  to  young 
Esler.  He  was  standing,  cap  in  hand,  to  see  them  depart, 
and  when  she  gave  him  the  money  he  looked  at  it,  flushed, 
and,  glaring  at  her  resentfully,  tendered  it  back.  "I  have 
no  change,"  he  said ;  "the  charge  is  five  marks — one  apiece 
for  seeing  over  the  castle,  and  one  apiece  for  the  Holile." 

Camiola  felt  uncomfortably  hot.  She  had  once  previ- 
ously found  herself  in  a  place  where  the  natives  were  too 
proud  to  accept  tips,  and  she  did  not  wish  to  hurt  his 
feelings.  "The  rest  is  a  present  for  you  to  remember  me 
by,"  said  she  pleasantly,  "and  I  may  give  you  more 
trouble  before  you  have  done  with  me.  I  hope  to  come 
here  again  this  summer." 

"Again?"  he  asked,  as  if  much  surprised.  "There  is 
no  more  to  see."  He  spoke  very  earnestly.  "Xo  more 
at  all." 

"But  do  you  think  one  can  take  in  everything  by  just 
seeing  it  once?"  she  inquired.  "I  cannot.  I  have  not 
half  satisfied  my  curiosity  about  this  fine  old  place.  Xo, 
no,"  she  added,  embarrassed,  as  he  still  made  as  though 


70  A   CASTLE    TO   LET 

to  reject  her  gift.  "I  have  taken  you  from  your  work, 
jes,  and" — slyly — "from  your  friends  also  during  all  the 
beet  part  of  the  day.  You  must  let  me  repay  you  for  so 
much  time  and  trouble." 

He  fell  back  and  dropped  his  hand  from  her  bridle; 
but  as  she  rode  away  she  felt  that  he  was  not  pleased,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  really  annoyed  and  humiliated.  This 
stung  her,  for  she  did  not  like  having  made  a  mistake. 
She  felt  inclined  to  tease  him,  and  as  she  rode  away  she 
turned  half  round  in  her  saddle,  crying  with  much  mean- 
ing: 

"Auf  wiedersehen!" 

His  blue  eyes  flashed,  and  he  answered  without  hesi- 
tation : 

"Leb'wohl,  gnadiges,  Frdulein!" 

She  was  half  laughing,  half  angry,  as  she  turned  the 
corner  into  the  wood,  leaving  the  enchanted  castle  behind. 
But  the  thorny  nature  of  these  peasants,  so  difficult  of 
access,  so  unapproachable  by  means  of  the  appeal  of  the 
pocket,  pleased  her.  The  natives  seemed  as  much  out  of 
the  common  as  the  house  itself. 

Herr  Neumann  was  at  the  door  when  they  rode,  a  cou- 
ple of  hours  later,  into  the  market  square,  and  waved  his 
hand  in  cheery  welcome.  While  helping  them  to  dis- 
mount, he  made  many  inquiries  as  to  what  they  thought 
of  the  castle,  the  fine  building,  the  prospect,  and  so  on. 
He  seemed  much  gratified  and  a  little  astonished  at  the 
fullness  of  their  admiration. 

"Have  you  any  idea,"  asked  Camiola,  "of  what  rent 
the  landlord  asks  for  the  castle,  and  whether  he  would  let 
for  a  short  period  ?" 

The  landlord  laughed  comfortably.  "What!  The 
hochwohlgeborene  thinks  of  becoming  his  tenant?  And 
what  then  will  she  do  with  the  so-convenient  little  auto- 
mobile?" 


ESLER   MAKES    A   BANG  71 

"That  will  have  to  stay  with  you,  Herr  Neumann. 
When  I  want  to  use  it  I  must  come  here  to  fetch  it,  and 
probably  sleep  a  night  in  Ildestadt  or  elsewhere.  I  think 
that  would  answer  very  well." 

"Oh,  yes,  yes,  certainly  that  could  be  managed."  He 
looked  as  though  the  idea  that  she  was  speaking  seriously 
had  only  just  occurred  to  him.  "Well,"  he  went  on,  as  if 
reflecting,  "and  why  not?  The  gracious  one  is  doubtless 
rich,  as  the  English  are  known  to  be,  and  she  will  see  that 
it  costs  something  to  get  provisions  and  fuel  carried  up 
the  mountain-side?" 

Camiola  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "I  do  not  know  about 
being  rich,"  she  replied,  "but  I  am  out  for  a  holiday,  and 
if  I  choose  to  spend  part  of  it  in  a  baronial  castle,  I  am 
willing  to  pay  a  fair  price  for  my  pleasure." 

"Well,  then,"  replied  the  host,  still  turning  over  the 
idea  in  his  mind,  "you  had  better  call  upon  the  Graf  and 
make  your  application  to  him  in  person." 

"Certainly.  Where  does  he  live?"  asked  Camiola 
eagerly. 

The  man  made  a  gesture  with  his  hand.  "Over  there, 
Fraulein,  across  the  market  square,  in  the  house  with  the 
watch  tower." 

Mizpah  and  Camiola  looked  at  each  other. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  OVERLORD  OF  YNDAIA 

CAMIOLA  let  her  eyes  travel  to  where  that  ancient,  al- 
most sightless,  huddled  little  tower  squatted  before  her 
eyes.  Turning  to  Mizpah,  she  said  rapidly  under  her 
breath,  "If  we  were  to  go  inside  it,  I  expect  that  would 
break  the  spell." 

"It  might,"  replied  Mizpah  hurriedly,  "but  we  will 
wait  for  to-morrow  morning,  I  think." 

"I  will  send  word  across  to  the  Herr  Graf  by  Erwald," 
suggested  the  Wirth,  "that  you  would  like  to  make  an 
appointment  for  to-morrow  morning,  if  that  is  your  wish." 

"Yes.  At  his  convenience,"  replied  she.  "But  please 
do  not  tell  him  any  stories  about  my  fabulous  wealth,  or 
he  may  ask  a  rent  which  I  cannot  afford.  I  do  not  mean 
to  pay  a  fancy  price.  General  Maldovan  will  help  me 
with  my  negotiations." 

The  landlord  looked  as  though  fully  aware  of  the  ad- 
vantage which  her  friendship  with  the  General  would  give 
her  when  it  came  to  bargaining.  "I  expect,"  he  said, 
"that  the  Graf  would  accept  any  reasonable  offer.  He 
is  very  poor." 

"It  seems  sad — such  a  fine  old  family,"  replied  the  girl 
pensively.  "Oh,"  she  added  on  the  impulse  of  the  mo- 
ment, "perhaps  you  can  tell  us  something  about  the  saint 
who  has  a  chapel  in  the  woods  and  is  carved  in  his  picture 
in  the  act  of  killing  a  dragon  ?  Frau  Esler  told  me  that 
she  knew  of  no  legend  of  a  dragon  in  these  parts." 

"Bertha  told  you  that?"  cried  the  man  sharply.  He 

72 


THE    OVERLORD   OF   YNDAIA      73 

checked  himself,  and  smoothed  the  mule's  nose,  smiling, 
before  adding,  "Bertha  is  a  foolish  woman.  Certainly 
there  is  a  legend  of  the  slaying  of  a  dragon  by  St.  Ilde- 
mund.  But  it  is,  of  course,  mythical,  legendary,  as  the 
Herrschaften  will  readily  believe." 

Camiola  regarded  him  critically.  There  seemed  to  be 
a  discrepancy  between  his  almost  modern  attitude  with 
regard  to  the  dragon  and  the  simplicity  of  his  belief  in 
miracles,  so  artlessly  expressed  that  morning.  It  looked 
as  though  he  did  not  wish  them  to  believe  in  the  dragon 
— and  the  only  conceivable  reason  for  that  must  be  that 
he  himself  did  believe  in  it  and  feared  it.  She  thought 
of  Irmgard's  curious  suggestion  as  to  the  disappearance 
of  the  tourists  on  the  mountain.  With  this  she  connected 
instantly  young  Esler's  obvious  desire  that  she  should  not 
see  the  Gaura  Draculuj,  and  his  aunt's  denial  of  any 
knowledge  of  a  dragon  legend.  It  seemed  almost  certain 
that  these  medievally  minded  persons  really  did  believe 
in  the  existence  of  a  prehistoric  monster  somewhere  in 
the  fastnesses  of  the  Ildengebirge.  This  was  altogether 
delightful.  She  could  not  have  hoped  that  such  a  place 
existed  in  Europe.  As  she  glanced  around,  in  the  low 
evening  light,  at  the  place  in  which  they  stood,  she  felt 
the  illusion  creep  over  her  too,  until  she  could  wellnigh 
picture  herself  as  having  slipped  back  some  half  a  dozen 
centuries — until  she  could  fancy  the  windows  full  of 
eager  faces,  the  bells  ringing  a  glad  chime,  and  the  whole 
city  a-tiptoe  to  see  some  Dieudonne  de  Gozon  ride  through 
the  gates,  dragging  the  corpse  of  the  slain  enemy  by  a 
rope  tied  to  its  hideous  neck. 

"The  dragon  is  the  crest  of  the  Vajda-Maros  family, 
I  think?"  she  asked.  "I  noticed  it  carved  above  the 
gateway  and  over  the  mantel  in  the  state  apartments?" 

"Yes,  it  is  their  crest,  and  legend  says  that  the  saint 
was  a  member  of  their  family.  He  had  a  little  hermitage 


74  ACASTLETOLET 

on  that  spot  where  now  his  chapel  stands,  and,  as  I  told 
you,  many  miracles  are  worked  at  his  shrine,  though  not 
so  many  as  formerly." 

"It  is  all  very  interesting,"  mused  the  girl. 

"The  gracious  ones  should  go  to-morrow  and  see  the 
tomlas  of  the  family  in  our  great  church  of  St.  Ildemund, 
here  in  the  Kirchen  Strasse.  They  are  truly  magnificent. 
Few  families  can  show  so  many  generations.  The  lords 
•of  Yndaia  ruled  a  whole  province.  It  is  the  only  part 
•of  Transylvania  in  which  the  Saxons  ever  submitted  to 
Houmanian  rule.  The  overlord  would  not  have  them  in 
his  province  but  on  his  own  terms:  yet  even  he  could  not 
stop  the  change  of  names  when,  in  1691,  this  country 
joined  herself  to  Austria!" 

"It  was  called  Yyndaia  before  that?" 

"Yes.  The  Vajda-Maros  are  older  even  than  their 
castle.  Before  that  was  built  the  family  dwelt  here  in 
the  city,  in  the  watch  tower  opposite." 

"It  is  a  very  old  building,"  remarked  Miss  Purdon 
with  a  shudder.  She  added  abruptly,  "Had  you  ever  any 
witch-burnings  in  this  city,  I  wonder?" 

"Ah,  yes,  indeed  we  had.  Witchcraft  was  rife  in  this 
unhappy  place  at  one  time.  The  stake  used  to  be  set  up, 
I  have  heard  say,  just  there,  where  you  see  the  fruit-stall 
with  the  brown  awning,  below  the  shrine  of  the  blessed 
Ildemund.  When  I  was  born,  a  woman  was  living  in 
this  town  whose  grandmother  saw  the  last  witch  burnt." 

Miss  Purdon  shivered.  "Come  in,  Camiola;  it  grows 
a  little  chilly." 

As  they  went  upstairs  she  remarked,  "Those  Orenfels 
people  are  a  little  creepy,  I  think." 

"Perfectly  delightful,"  murmured  Camiola,  who  was 
rapt  in  the  consideration  of  the  curious  circumstance  of 
her  having  dreamed  of  the  dragon  as  issuing  from  the 
door  of  the  watch  tower.  Common  sense  caused  her  to 


THE    OVERLORD    OF    YNDAIA      75 

admit  that,  previous  to  her  dream,  she  had  heard  the  hint 
or  suggestion  of  such  a  creature  from  Irmgard ;  neverthe- 
less, she  had  known  of  no  connection  between  the  Vajda- 
Maros  and  the  ancient  building  in  the  square. 

"Mizpah,"  said  she,  "would  you  like  to  sleep  in  my 
room  to-night  or  in  Marston's  ?  Hers  is  a  nice  room,  and 
does  not  look  out  upon  the  square.  I  am  sure  she  has 
not  been  disturbed." 

She  made  the  suggestion,  hardly  expecting  it  to  be 
accepted,  but  to  her  surprise  Miss  Purdon  jumped  at  it. 

"Oh,  don't  think  me  a  weak-minded  idiot,  but  I  really 
think  I  will  take  Marston's  room,"  said  she.  "You  heard 
what  he  said  about  the  place  where  they  put  up  the  stake  ? 
It  was  something  more  than  an  ordinary  dream.  I  can 
explain  to  Marston  that  the  sounds  of  the  town  awak^g. 
me  too  early  in  my  own  room." 

The  new  arrangement  was  easily  made,  and  proved' 
quite  satisfactory.  Miss  Purdon  slept  soundly,  and  so- 
did  Marston. 

Camiola  herself  was  more  restless,  for  they  had  foirad 
a  message  awaiting  them  upon  their  return  to  say  tha£ 
Irmgard's  mother  was  worse — had,  in  fact,  experienced 
a  serious  relapse. 

No  supernatural  visitations  broke  the  English  girl's 
rest,  but  the  very  natural  anxiety  which  a  real  affection 
will  induce.  She  loved  Irmgard  dearly,  and  she  had  had 
but  little  love  in  her  life.  She  felt  as  if  she  were  living 
through  each  hour's  suspense  and  strain  with  her  friend. 
She  remembered  with  anguish  the  grief  she  had  herself 
endured,  watching  by  her  father  during  the  never-to-be- 
forgotten  night  whose  morrow  left  her  orphaned. 

Next  morning  she  told  Herr  Neumann  that  her  inter- 
view with  the  Graf  von  Orenfels  must  wait  She  was 
going  in  the  motor  to  Szass  Lona  at  once  to  obtain  the 
latest  news. 


76  ACASTLETOLET 

Miss  Purdon  accompanied  her,  and  together  they  slipped 
down  the  foldings  of  the  road,  leaving  the  mediaeval  city 
far  above  them,  and  when  they  had  rounded  the  curves 
of  the  Trollberg,  as  the  big  grass  hill  at  the  foot  of  the 
valley  was  called,  she  felt  as  though  she  were  in  a  differ- 
ent world. 

The  news  that  awaited  them  was  very  serious.  The 
doctors  had  given  up  hope,  and  it  was  feared  that  the  end 
was  now  merely  a  question  of  hours. 

The  children  clung  about  Camiola,  tearful  and  wretched. 
Even  Conrad,  his  Anglophobia  forgotten,  rested  his  curly 
head  upon  her  knee  and  broke  into  loud  weeping. 

Camiola,  as  she  soothed  them  and  sorrowed  with  them, 
was  inwardly  facing  the  idea  that  Irmgard  could  not  now, 
in  any  case,  leave  these  helpless  creatures  in  order  to  go 
round  the  world  with  her  friend.  The  projected  tour 
faded  into  dim  distance.  For  the  present  Camiola  felt 
tied  to  Ildestadt,  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  girl  to  whom 
she  was  so  sincerely  attached. 

She  could  not  speak  of  her  new  plans  to  any  of  the 
Maldovan  family — their  trouble  loomed  too  large  for  con- 
sideration of  anything  else  at  the  present  time.  She  felt 
that,  as  things  stood,  she  could  be  of  little  use,  since  the 
children  might  be  summoned  at  any  moment  to  take  a 
last  leave  of  their  mother,  and  Irmgard  could  not  be 
spared  from  the  sick-room. 

Camiola,  therefore,  took  her  departure,  promising  to 
send  down  Heed  with  the  car  that  evening,  to  hear  the 
latest  account  and  to  hold  himself  in  readiness  to  go  to 
Hermannstadt  or  elsewhere,  as  the  General  might  pos- 
sibly require  his  services  to  drive  his  aide-de-camp  upon 
such  business  as  should  prove  necessary. 

They  returned  to  the  Blaue  Vogel  to  lunch,  and  after- 
wards a  message  was  sent  across  the  square  to  the  watch 


THE    OVERLORD   OF    YNDAIA      77 

tower  to  ask  if  the  Graf  could  see  the  English  Fraulein 
upon  the  question  of  letting  the  castle  of  Orenfels. 

Miss  France  had  a  queer  sensation  of  heing  in  a  dream 
as  she  and  Miss  Purdon  crossed  the  market  square  diag- 
onally and  made  for  the  little  arched  entrance. 

As  the  door  slowly  opened,  it  was  without  surprise  that 
Miss  France  encountered  the  wide,  fixed  gaze  of  the  old 
woman  who  had  stared  at  her  so  eagerly  on  the  evening 
of  her  arrival.  As  their  eyes  met,  she  experienced  a  shud- 
der, as  though  she  peered  down  into  the  depths  of  dark 
water.  Without  speaking  a  word,  the  old  creature  signed 
to  them  to  follow,  and  led  the  way  along  a  narrow  stone 
passage.  The  door  through  which  one  now  entered  was 
evidently  only  a  postern.  The  main  doorway  had  been 
upon  the  upper  floor,  with  a  drawbridge  or  movable 
ladder.  The  stair  by  which  they  ascended  was  spiral, 
though  not  so  narrow  as  the  usual  corkscrew  staircase.  It 
was  deeply  worn  by  the  treading  of  many  feet,  and  not 
very  clean. 

The  stair  terminated  in  a  square  space  forming  a  kind 
of  ante-room.  It  occupied  one-fourth  of  the  area  of  the 
square  keep,  and  it  was  hung  with  arras,  and  sparsely 
furnished  in  the  style  of  the  country,  with  sofas  and  little 
tables  with  gilded  legs.  It  had  two  doors  besides  the 
narrow  one  in  the  corner  by  which  they  had  entered. 

Here  they  waited  for  several  minutes — perhaps,  as  the 
girl  suggested,  to  make  them  realise  the  importance  of 
the  nobleman  with  whom  they  had  come  to  treat. 

Presently  the  door  at  right  angles  to  that  by  which 
they  had  come  was  pushed  open,  and  a  little,  bent, 
shrivelled  man  entered.  His  hair  was  grey  and  thick, 
standing  up  all  over  his  head  as  though  some  fright  had 
left  it  permanently  erect.  He  was  shabbily  dressed,  and 
bowed  nervously,  standing  at  some  distance  from  the 


78  ACASTLETOLET 

ladies,  as  though  he  feared  they  might  insist  upon  shak- 
ing handa  in  English  fashion. 

Camiola,  in  her  somewhat  slow  but  correct  German, 
presented  Miss  Purdon,  and  then,  seating  herself,  avowed 
her  object  without  preamble.  She  had  seen  that  the  Castle 
of  Orenfela  was  to  be  let,  and  would  like  to  take  it  for 
the  rest  of  the  summer — say  for  three  months — as  she 
wished  to  remain  within  reach  of  her  friend,  the  daughter1 
•f  General  Maldovan. 

The  old  man  looked  as  though  her  appearance  and 
manner  were  pleasing  to  him,  but  he  raised  a  knobby, 
skinnj  hand  and  cut  her  somewhat  short. 

Then,  speaking  in  a  curious  harsh  German,  which  was 
evidently  not  his  native  tongue,  he  explained  that  he  was 
not  prepared  to  let  the  castle  for  so  short  a  term. 

Camiola  begged  to  know  the  shortest  time  for  which  he 
would  consider  an  offer,  and  he  replied  that  he  would, 
under  ordinary  conditions,  not  let  except  to  a  permanent 
tenant,  upon  lease,  for  seven,  fourteen  or  twenty-one  years. 
However,  as  summer  was  half  over,  and  he  had  not  this 
season  succeeded  in  letting,  he  was  prepared  to  accept  a 
nine  months'  tenancy,  if  she  would  undertake  to  vacate 
next  May,  at  the  commencement  of  the  tourist  season,  or, 
in  the  alternative,  renew  her  tenancy  for  a  longer  term. 

]STot  merely  was  his  accent  vile,  but  he  was  also  not 
well  furnished  with  teeth,  and  as  Camiola  was  but  par- 
tially acquainted  with  technical  terms,  it  took  them  some 
little  time  to  understand  each  other. 

When  she  clearly  understood  what  he  was  asking, 
Camiola  declined  the  offer.  He  must  see  that  she  would 
not  wish  to  remain  at  Orenfels  when  the  snow  came.  She 
would  go  away  for  the  entire  winter,  and  to  return  for  a 
week  or  two  in  the  spring  would  not  be  worth  while.  He 
looked  so  arxious  and  disappointed  upon  this  that  she 
thought  she  might  as  well  ask  what  rent  he  demanded  for 


THE    OVERLORD    OF    YNDAIA       79 

a  year's  tenancy.  He  replied  that  lie  asked  five  thousand 
krone,  but  pointed  out  that  he  could  not  let  to  her  for  a 
year  from  now,  as  this  would  spoil  next  summer  too. 

Camiola,  utterly  surprised  at  the  smallness  of  the  sum 
asked,  then  made  him  an  offer.  She  was  willing  to  pay 
two  thousand  five  hundred  krone — that  is,  six  months' 
rent — for  three  months,  with  the  option  of  taking  on  the 
castle  at  the  end  of  that  time  for  next  season  at  an  addi- 
tional three  thousand. 

After  some  demur,  he  agreed  to  this.  In  fact,  he 
seemed  to  have  some  trouble  in  concealing  his  inward 
satisfaction.  He  asked  if  she  was  prepared  to  pay  down 
a  thousand  krone  upon  the  signing  of  the  agreement,  and 
to  this  she  willingly  gave  her  assent,  adding  that  General 
Maldovan  would  gladly  satisfy  him  of  her  eligibility  as 
a  tenant,  and  would  read  over  the  agreement  for  her,  as 
she  was  not  very  conversant  with  German  business  idiom. 

On  this,  he  asked  after  the  health  of  the  Fran  Gene- 
ralin,  and  expressed  concern  upon  hearing  the  serious 
news.  Then,  after  some  hesitation,  he  went  on :  "I  sup- 
pose you  have  realised  that  there  are  not  many  modern 
conveniences  at  Orenfels?  I  ought  to  say  at  once  that 
I  am  not  prepared  to  spend  any  money  upon  it.  If  you 
take  it,  you  take  it  as  it  is." 

Mis«  France  said  that  she  thought  she  was  prepared 
to  agree  to  that,  but  would  let  him  know  finally  after  a 
further  visit  of  inspection.  If  doors  and  windows  had  no 
fastenings,  she  would  have  to  ask  him  to  make  that  right ; 
but  if  the  place  was  thoroughly  weatherproof,  she  would 
not  require  more.  He  replied  eagerly  that  it  was  to  his 
interest  to  have  the  place  kept  wind-  and  water-tight,  as 
ho  oould  not  afford  loss  either  by  weather  or  burglary. 
''Though  there  are  no  robbers  here,"  he  added. 

There  was  further  hesitation,  and  he  brought  out  some- 
thing else. 


80  ACASTLETOLET 

"I  ought  to  have  said  before,  at  the  beginning  of  our 
so  agreeable  interview,  that  I  must  make  one  stipulation, 
and  that  is  that  you  retain  the  services  of  the  Eslers.  They 
know  how  to  make  the  place  safe,  and  are  responsible 
people.  I  should,  if  you  kept  them  to  please  me,  be  pre- 
pared to  pay  half  their  wages." 

"We  should  wish  to  keep  them,"  said  Camiola,  "and 
your  offer  is  very  fair.  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  engage 
most  of  our  staff  from  this  place,  as  foreign  servants 
would  perhaps  not  be  comfortable.  Then  there  is  the 
question  of  mules.  I  suppose  we  must  have  a  couple  to 
go  up  and  down  with  our  provisions,  as  well  as  good  ones 
for  ourselves  to  ride." 

He  thought  that  they  would  have  no  difficulty  in  hiring 
mules  or  asses  for  the  rough  work  in  the  town,  and  after 
some  deliberation  he  offered  to  allow  them  to  hire  the 
two  they  had  ridden  the  previous  day  on  two  conditions 
— first,  that  they  undertook  not  to  use  them  as  pack  mules, 
and,  second,  that  Erwald  should  be  engaged  to  look  after 
them. 

Camiola  was  just  in  the  act  of  agreeing  to  this  arrange- 
ment, most  convenient  to  herself,  when  the  curtain  was 
once  more  drawn  aside,  this  time  with  impetuosity,  and 
there  strode  into  the  room  a  young  man  in  full  uniform, 
booted  and  spurred,  who  was  beginning  to  speak  when  he 
stopped  short  upon  seeing  the  ladies,  looked  apologetic, 
and  bowed  low,  bringing  his  heels  together  in  the  approved 
foreign  fashion. 

"I  did  not  mean  to  interrupt  you,  uncle,"  said  he,  half 
laughing,  half  as  if  he  expected  a  scolding. 

He  was  certainly  a  fine  young  man,  very  tall  and  well 
drilled.  His  hair  was  chestnut,  bright  chestnut,  yet  just 
not  incurring  the  charge  of  being  red,  and  his  eyes  were 
brown,  of  a  warm  shade  that  matched  his  locks.  His 


THE    OVERLORD    OF    YNDAIA      81 

moustache  was  stiffened  at  the  ends  and  his  teeth  white 
and  well  kept. 

"May  I  be  permitted  to  present  my  nephew,  the  Herr 
Captain  von  Courland?"  quavered  the  old  Graf. 

The  introduction  was  made  with  proper  ceremony  on 
both  sides,  and  the  splendid  apparition  remained  standing 
at  Camiola's  side,  regarding  her  with  a  mixture  of  inter- 
est and  amusement,  as  if  wondering  that  a  lady  of  wealth 
should  be  so  simply  arrayed.  He  could  not  know  the 
price  one  must  needs  pay  for  a  coat  and  skirt  cut  and 
made  as  was  her  simple  white  serge;  nor  that  the  ninon 
blouse  within,  apparently  so  loose  and  comfortable,  was 
the  work  of  a  modiste  of  genius.  He  was  able  to  decide 
that  neither  the  thread-like  gold  chain  she  wore,  nor  its 
pendant  of  uncut  turquoise,  was  costly.  Her  hands  were 
hidden  in  her  rough  gauntlets,  and  she  wore  no  other 
visible  ornament.  The  delicately  curved  brim  of  her  hat 
— which  also  was  studiously  simple — hid  part  of  her  face 
from  him,  but  he  thought  what  he  could  see  was  pleasing. 
The  elder  lady  was  the  first  to  speak,  and  she  asked  if 
he  resided  in  Ildestadt  or  was  there  on  a  visit. 

He  was  delighted  to  inform  her  that  he  was  only  here 
on  leave,  paying  a  visit  to  his  uncle  and  aunt.  He  added 
that  it  was  really  delightful  to  find  visitors  in  the  place; 
it  was  iisually  so  dull.  He  could  not  understand  why  it 
was  that  people  did  not  flock  to  Ildestadt,  for  really  there 
was  scenery  worth  looking  at  up  in  the  Ildegebirge.  Had 
they  been  as  far  as  the  summit  ?  ISTo  ?  Merely  as  far  as 
Orenfels  ?  Oh,  they  had  not  seen  any  of  the  really  beau- 
tiful part.  He  hoped  they  would  not  leave  without 
doing  so. 

Then  Camiola  joined  in,  and  said  that,  so  far  from 
leaving,  they  intended  to  explore  the  place  to  its  utter- 
most, and  that,  with  that  intention,  they  were  about  to 
become  the  Graf's  tenants  for  a  time. 


82  ACASTLETOLET 

He  showed  his  pleasure  at  this  news  in  a  manner  which 
was  almost  boyish.  He  thought  they  proved  their  wis- 
dom by  coming  to  a  place  so  wholly  free  from  trippers. 
If  the  weather  continued  fine,  they  would  have  a  glorious 
time  up  in  the  mountains.  He  wished  that  they  had  ar- 
rived a  month  earlier,  but  although  June  in  his  opinion 
was  the  best  time  to  be  at  Orenfels,  yet  they  had  still  the 
greater  part  of  July,  and  the  whole  of  August  would  be 
lovely. 

He  became  eager  to  advise  them  upon  all  sorts  of  sub- 
jects— where  to  get  what  they  wanted,  and  so  on.  In  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  they  were  all  talking  fast,  while  the 
old  Graf  sat  in  his  chair  and  gazed  at  them. 

The  ladies  were  anxious  to  get  a  few  rooms  prepared 
for  themselves  and  their  maid  at  the  earliest  possible  mo- 
ment, as  they  found  the  nights  oppressively  hot  down  in 
the  city.  It  was  Miss  France's  intention  to  order  her 
butler  to  come  out  from  England  in  order  that  Heed,  the 
chauffeur,  might  have  a  compatriot.  He  could  bring  out 
silver  and  linen  with  him,  but  they  must  go  and  purchase 
a  small  quantity  of  both  in  Hermannstadt,  also  those 
baths  to  which  the  English  are  so  notoriously  addicted ! 
There  was  a  merry  light  in  Captain  von  Courland's  eyes 
as  he  implored  them  to  believe  that,  among  the  upper 
classes  in  Austria-Hungary,  the  views  held  upon  that  sub- 
ject were  as  orthodox  as  they  themselves  could  possibly 
desire. 

He  was  certainly  a  taking  young  man,  and  was  ready 
with  suggestions  for  their  household.  He  declared  Bertha 
Esler  to  be  an  excellent  cook,  and  recommended  them  to 
place  the  household  arrangements  under  her  care.  She 
would  certainly  know  of  girls  to  do  the  house  and  kitchen 
work;  he  felt  sure  they  might  trust  her  for  that. 

Furthermore,  he  knew  where  they  ought  to  order  their 
wood  for  fuel,  and  before  they  were  aware  he  was  offer- 


THE    OVERLORD    OF    YNDAIA      83 

ing  to  ride  up  to  Orenfels  that  very  afternoon  and  warn 
Bertha  of  their  incoming. 

"She  won't  be  pleased,"  smiled  Camiola.  "She  is  a 
very  exclusive  lady,  and  both  she  and  her  nephew  seem 
to  be  anything  but  fond  of  strangers." 

"Kephew!"  said  the  captain,  turning  to  his  uncle. 
"Has  Bertha  got  a  nephew  up  there  ?" 

"Yes.  Her  husband  died  the  winter  before  last,  and 
it  was  lonely  for  her  by  herself,"  replied  the  Graf.  "A 
man  is  needed  to  do  odd  jobs,  and  this  young  man  seems 
capable." 

"I  didn't  know  she  had  a  nephew,"  remarked  the  cap- 
tain. 

"Well,  there  are  things  that  even  an  officer  in  the  Aus- 
trian Army  doesn't  know,"  observed  the  Graf  with  the 
ghost  of  a  smile. 

"So  it  seems,"  admitted  the  young  soldier  with  a  laugh. 

"It  is  too  late,"  said  Camiola,  "to  go  up  to  Orenfels 
this  evening.  It  must  be  nearly  four  o'clock.  You  would 
not  be  back  much  before  nine.  Besides,  I  think  I  must 
go  myself  in  order  to  run  through  the  rooms  and  make 
terms  with  Bertha.  She  may  decline  pointblank  to  work 
for  a  stranger!  How  would  it  be  if  we  rode  up  there 
quite  early  to-morrow  morning?  That  would  leave  time 
to  rush  to  Hermannstadt  in  the  car  during  the  afternoon 
to  buy  things.  We  might  start  at  seven  o'clock  and  be 
back  by  twelve.  If  the  weather  is  good  and  the  Hen- 
Graf  will  let  me  hire  the  mules,  an  early  ride  would  be 
delightful." 

"Oh,  my  dear  child,  I  do  not  think  I  am  equal  to  start- 
ing at  seven  I"  cried  Miss  Purdon  reluctantly. 

The  captain's  eyes  sparkled.  "Uncle,  will  you  ride  up 
with  Miss  France  and  myself  to-morrow  morning?"  he 
cried  eagerly. 

The  old  Graf  bit  his  lip,  glanced  at  his  nephew,  and 


84  ACASTLETOLET 

after  a  momentary  hesitation  said  that  he  would.  He 
would  order  the  mules  for  the  time  desired. 

"Excellent!"  said  Camiola.  "The  Eslers  will  see  that 
I  come  with  due  authority  to  invade  their  solitudes !  Per- 
haps, also,  Captain  von  Courland,  you  will  have  the  great 
kindness  to  accompany  us  to  Herinannstadt  in  the  after- 
noon and  show  us  the  best  shops  ?" 

He  was  only  too  delighted,  and  when  they  had  taken 
leave  of  the  uncle  the  nephew  accompanied  them  across 
the  road,  gaily  accepting  an  invitation  to  come  in  and 
drink  tea,  made  English  fashion,  from  English  tea,  by  an 
English  maid. 

His  visit  was  terminated  only  by  the  return  of  Reed 
with  the  car  and  the  latest  bulletin  from  Szass  Lona. 
Frau  Maldovan  had  made  a  partial  rally,  and,  though 
the  doctors  were  convinced  that  it  could  not  be  lasting, 
the  acute  pressure  of  anxiety  was  for  the  moment  removed. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    MOUNTAIN    TRAGEDY 

THE  party  which  set  out  for  Orenfels  next  morning,  in 
the  early  stillness,  consisted  only  of  Camiola  and  the  cap- 
tain. He  brought  profuse  apologies  from  his  uncle,  who, 
it  seemed,  was  crippled  by  a  very  sudden  attack  of  gout. 
He  hoped  Miss  Purdon  would  consider  that  Erwald  was 
chaperon  enough  for  the  two  young  people. 

The  solitude  a  deux  was  a  far  more  thrilling  circum- 
stance to  the  young  man  than  it  was  to  Miss  France, 
daughter  of  a  country  where  Mrs.  Grundy  is  kept  in  her 
place. 

Otho  von  Courland  had  never  ridden  with  a  girl  in 
his  life  before,  and  the  knowledge  (which  his  early  train- 
ing caused  him  to  recollect  continually)  that  this  was  an 
heiress  contributed  to  make  him  feel  curiously  excited. 
He  had,  however,  the  good  breeding  to  suppress  such 
feeling. 

As  they  threaded  the  solemn  aisles  of  the  pines  their 
good  beasts  moving  steadily  upward,  crushing  the  aromatic 
pine  twigs,  amid  the  call  of  the  birds  and  the  murmur 
of  the  torrent,  sometimes  muffled,  sometimes  close  beside 
their  path,  Camiola  thought  that  the  beauty  and  mystery 
of  the  approach  to  Orenfels  were  even  greater  than  she 
had  before  supposed. 

They  had  partaken  of  coffee  and  rolls  before  starting, 
and  Erwald  carried  only  some  sandwiches  for  their  re- 
freshment upon  arrival,  as  they  intended  to  lunch  at  the 
inn  upon  their  return. 

85 


86  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

They  talked  all  the  way,  the  captain  beginning  by  com- 
plimenting Camiola  upon  her  German,,  and  she  retorting 
by  telling  him  how  unwise  it  was  of  his  countrymen  not 
to  learn  fluent  English,  since  it  is  the  language  of  so  vast 
a  race.  Thence  they  proceeded  to  talk  of  the  Vajda- 
Maros  family,  and  Camiola  remarked  upon  the  sadness 
of  the  accident  which  had  bereft  the  old  Graf  of  his  son. 

"Not  a  son,"  said  von  Courland,  a  little  embarrassed. 
"My  uncle  never  had  a  son.  Gaspard,  who  was  lost,  was 
my  brother." 

Camiola  begged  his  pardon  hurriedly,  feeling  really 
grieved  at  having  touched  too  lightly  upon  such  an  inti- 
mate subject. 

"There  is  no  need  at  all  to  apologise,"  replied  the 
young  man  cordially.  "Our  relationships  are  a  little  puz- 
zling, as  is  the  case  with  many  old  families.  My  uncle, 
the  present  Graf,  was  an  only  son — at  least,  the  only  one 
who  lived  to  grow  up — and  had  two  sisters.  Of  these, 
Helene,  my  mother,  was  the  younger.  She  married  an 
Austrian  officer,  Colonel  von  Courland,  somewhat  to  her 
brother's  indignation.  He  looks  always  upon  Transylvania 
as  a  province  of  Eoumania  unjustly  enslaved  by  the  dual 
Empire.  For  many  years  Gaspard  was  my  mother's  only 
child.  He  was  fifteen  when  I  was  born,  so  I  really  knew 
but  little  of  my  brother.  By  the  time  that  I  was  old 
enough  to  understand  things  he  was  grown  up.  He  lived 
here  a  great  deal  with  my  uncle,  who  looked  upon  him 
as  his  heir;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  he  had  a  way  of 
running  through  money  which  was  disastrous.  It  is,  of 
course,  difficult  for  a  young  man  with  a  prospective  title, 
in  a  crack  regiment,  to  live  economically;  but  poor  Gas- 
pard's  debts  were  inexcusable.  As  you  have  heard,  he 
was  killed  in  an  accident,  not  far  from  here,  and  the 
things  which  came  to  light  afterwards  made  people  sug- 
gest that  he  might  have  put  an  end  to  himself  intention- 


THE    MOUNTAIN    TRAGEDY        87 

ally.  That  is,  of  course,  absurd,  since  even  if  he  had 
meditated  suicide,  he  would  not  have  been  likely  to  drag 
eight  or  nine  other  people  after  him." 

"Oh,  that  is  quite  out  of  the  question,  of  course!" 
cried  Camiola.  "What  a  strange  accident  it  seems  to 
have  been.  It  sounds  so  wholly  unaccountable.  Would 
it  be  indiscreet  to  ask  if  you  have  any  theory  about  it  ?" 

"My  theory  is,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  "that  no  ex- 
haustive search  was  ever  made,  the  reason  for  which  is, 
in  my  view,  to  be  found  in  the  incurable  nature  of  the 
local  superstitions.  Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  cele- 
brated Black  Dragon  of  the  Ildenthal  ?" 

"Yes,  I  have  heard  of  it,"  she  replied  with  interest; 
"but  our  good  landlord  seems  inclined  to  pooh-pooh  the 
idea,  and  is  very  unwilling  to  speak  of  it." 

"You  will  always  find  that  in  every  place  in  which  the 
folks  have  an  inveterate  belief  in  something  of  which 
they  are  more  than  half  ashamed.  For  all  that,  I  guar- 
antee that  there  are  not  more  than  a  couple  of  dozen 
inhabitants  of  Ildestadt — and  not  one  in  the  surrounding 
villages — who  does  not  believe  that  the  missing  tourists 
were  devoured  by  the  Black  Dragon." 

"I  fancy  I  was  told  that  the  Black  Dragon  inhabits  a 
certain  cave  or  hole  known  as  the  Gaura  Draculuj  2" 

"Yes,  and  that  is  what  makes  the  whole  story  so  foolish 
and  incredible.  The  Gaura  Draculuj  is  a  horrible,  dan- 
gerous fissure  of  unknown  depth,  which  it  was  the  fashion 
for  the  guides  to  show  to  visitors.  I  may  say  at  once  that 
the  shape  of  it  precludes  any  idea  of  there  being  a  living 
creature  at  the  bottom  of  it.  As  it  happens,  however,  the 
place  was  not  in  the  programme  of  the  party  which  started 
out  that  eventful  morning,  in  charge  of  the  two  best  guides 
in  the  district.  Their  destination  was  the  Kulm — the 
summit  of  the  pass,  you  know — and  thence  they  were 
going  to  what  is  known  as  the  Trolls  Briicke,  which  would 


88  ACASTLETOLET 

bring  them  back  by  a  different  route  to  the  hotel,  past  the 
Trollzahner  Falls.  The  falls,  by  the  way,  are  well  worth 
seeing." 

"We  will  go  there  as  soon  as  possible." 

"When  they  did  not  return  that  evening  search  parties 
were  sent  out,  first  to  the  summit,  and  then  to  the  Trolls- 
briicke,  which  is  a  dangerous  place  on  account  of  the 
friable  nature  of  the  rocks.  It  was  supposed  that  there 
might  have  been  a  landslip,  which  precipiated  the  whole 
party  into  the  torrent.  I  must  tell  you  that  during  the 
preceding  winter  there  had  actually  been  a  considerable 
landslip  on  the  road  to  the  Kulm,  and  the  guides  were 
always  a  bit  nervous  in  the  early  summer,  the  whole  place 
being  so  riddled  with  caves." 

"Is  it  known  that  they  went  as  far  as  the  Kulm?" 

"Yes;  that  is  quite  certain.  We  know  that  they  ar- 
rived, and  in  good  time,  because  they  had  lunch  there. 
In  that  spot — the  highest  point  of  the  route — the  only 
trace  of  their  proceedings  was  found — some  empty  bottles 
under  a  cairn  and  other  remains  of  their  meal.  It  was 
thought  that,  tempted  by  the  fact  of  having  got  so  far  so 
easily,  they  might  have  gone  on  over  the  Pass  down  on 
the  southern  side.  Search  was  made  there  all  the  rext 
day,  as  well  as  at  the  Trollsbriicke.  Xothing  at  all  was 
found." 

"Xo  signs  of  a  landslip  or  avalanche  ?" 

"None  at  all.  Then  they  examined  the  Gaura  Draculuj, 
thinking  the  party  might  have  changed  their  plans,  since 
in  gaining  the  Trollsbriicke  one  passes  not  so  very  far 
from  the  entrance  to  the  cave.  On  entering  the  cave  it 
was  at  once  evident  that  nobody  had  been  there.  The  rock 
underfoot  is  covered  with  soft,  fine,  grey  sand,  and  this 
was  absolutely  undisturbed." 

"That  is  proof,  is  it  not  ?" 

"Conclusive,  even  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  it  is 


THE    MOUNTAIN    TRAGEDY        89 

quite  absurd  to  suppose  that  a  party  of  nine  could  pos- 
sibly fall  down  that  place  accidentally.  Even  if  you  grant 
that  one  or  more  of  them  may  have  done  so,  it  is  unthink- 
able that  all  the  rest  could  have  followed.  Supposing  that 
some  of  them  got  into  difficulties — that  others,  going  to 
their  assistance,  were  dragged  in  after  them — even  then 
they  must  have  had  the  sense  to  despatch  somebody  for 
help.  They  could  not  all  have  fallen  down  a  crevasse 
and  left  no  trace ;  and  even  had  they  done  so,  they  would 
have  left  ropes,  alpenstocks,  or  impedimenta  of  some  kind 
behind,  would  they  not?" 

"It  seems  certain  that  they  would." 

"!No  \  They  could  not  have  disappeared  like  that,  nor 
yet  at  the  Trollsbriicke,  There  are  deep  pools  there,  but 
absolutely  no  sort  of  reason  why  a  set  of  people  in  full 
possession  of  their  faculties  should  fall  with  one  consent 
into  the  torrent  in  broad  daylight.  Had  they  done  so, 
hats  and  so  on  would  have  floated — some  trace  of  them 
would  have  come  down  to  the  town,  would  it  not?" 

"Indeed,  one  would  think  so." 

"The  fact  is  that  they  never  went  near  the  Gaura  Dra- 
culuj  nor  the  Trollsbriicke.  They  left  the  path  somewhere 
near  the  summit,  and  some  projecting  piece  of  rock  broke 
off  with  them,  or  some  snow  bridge  gave  way  under  them, 
carrying  them  all  down  into  the  abyss." 

"But  surely  some  trace  of  such  a  thing  would  be 
visible  ?" 

"Xot  necessarily,  if  they  got  up  as  far  as  the  snow. 
Gaspard  was  with  them,  and  he  was  foolhardy.  It  was 
early  in  the  summer,  and  the  snow  was  very  rotten.  That 
very  night  fresh  snow  fell  upon  the  heights.  It  is  prob- 
able that  this  new  snow  fall  deluded  the  search  parties. 
The  Trollzahner,  as  they  call  the  jagged  peaks  up  there, 
are  full  of  deep  cracks — veritable  death-traps.  To  my 
mind,  the  giving  way  of  something  upon  which  they  were 


90  A   CASTLE    TO   LET 

all  standing,  and  their  precipitation,  bag  and  baggage,  into 
some  deep  fissure  is  the  only  conceivable  explanation." 

"That  or  the  Black  Dragon,"  said  Camiola  pensively. 

"But,"  cried  Otho,  "even  if  you  grant  that  there  exists 
in  this  valley  a  prehistoric  monster,  capable  of  devouring 
a  man — you  cannot  concede  the  possibility  of  his  wiping 
out  a  whole  party,  not  one  of  them,  even  the  hindmost, 
escaping  to  tell  the  tale !" 

"The  interesting  detail  in  this  story  to  me,"  ^^served 
the  girl,  "is  to  ascertain  what  the  creature  lives  upon 
when  there  are  no  men  to  be  devoured?" 

"Badgers  and  marmots,  I  suppose,  with  an  occasional 
sheep.  I  ought  to  tell  you  that  they  lowered  a  man  on 
a  rope  a  good  way  down  the  fissure — and  on  a  ledge  of 
rock  they  found  the  bones  of  a  sheep.  That  helped  to  keep 
up  the  idea  of  the  monster's  existence,  though,  clearly, 
the  sheep  had  fallen  down  accidentally.  Poor  old  Hoff- 
man, who  had  sunk  all  he  possessed  in  the  building  of  the 
Kur-Haus,  went  out  of  his  mind  on  the  subject.  He  de- 
clared, in  face  of  all  evidence,  that  the  Dragon  had  de- 
voured the  tourists.  The  unhappy  old  man  is  now  in  the 
asylum  at  Hennannstadt." 

Camiola  made  an  exclamation  of  pity.  "But  you  say 
it  was  shown  conclusively  that  the  accident  could  not 
have  happened  in  the  Gaura  Draculuj  ?" 

"That  matters  nothing  to  our  peasantry.  They  think 
the  dragon  quite  capable  of  sprinkling  fresh  sand  ovu- 
his  parlour  floor." 

The  girl  shuddered.  "It  is  a  horrible,  melancholy 
story,"  she  sighed. 

He  dropped  his  voice  to  a  very  confidential  tone. 
"Have  you  come  to  turn  the  tide  ?  To  change  the  luck 
of  the  Vajda-Maros?"  he  asked  softly. 

It  was  a  daring  thing  to  say,  but  he  said  it  in  just  the 
right  way.  His  voice  was  singularly  charming — you  felt 


THE    MOUNTAIN    TRAGEDY        91 

certain  that  he  sang  tenor.  Camiola  was  keyed  at  that 
moment  to  respond  to  the  call  of  romance,  for  as  he  spoke 
she  lifted  her  eyes,  and  saw  before  her  the  grey  majestic 
pile  of  Orenfels  lying  mysterious  and  as  though  asleep  in 
the  morning  sunlight. 

"For  ten  generations,"  went  on  the  persuasive  voice, 
"the  succession  has  never  been  in  the  direct  line.  There 
was  a  prophecy  that  this  should  be  so.  According  to  the 
terms  of  the  prediction,  the  curse  should  have  worked 
itself  out  in  me." 

"Are  you  the  only  representative  of  your  name  ?"  she 
asked. 

"So  far  as  we  know.  There  may  be  a  half-English 
member  of  the  family,  but  I  do  not  think  there  is.  My 
mother's  elder  sister  made  an  unfortunate  marriage.  She 
fell  in  love  with  an  Englishman  named  Westonhaugh — a 
Predikant:  what  you  call  clergyman.  He  was  very  poor. 
She  ran  away  with  him  to  England,  and  it  is  not  known 
what  became  of  her,  for  her  family  cast  her  off.  If  she 
had  a  son,  he  would  be  heir  before  me.  I  hope,  however, 
that  he  does  not  exist." 

"Oh,  so  do  I !"  cried  Camiola  impetuously,  before  she 
had  time  to  think.  Then  she  blushed,  and  they  both 
smiled. 

"The  Fraulein  is  very  kind,"  said  Otho,  raising  his  hat. 

Camiola  looked  around  her  at  the  newly  mown  pas- 
ture, where  she  had  seen  the  haymakers  but  two  days  pre- 
viously, and  where,  among  the  stubble  grass,  the  autumn 
crocus  was  already  beginning  to  show  its  beautiful  lilac 
hue.  She  smiled  as  she  thought  how  speedily  her  "Auf 
Wiedersehen"  had  come  true! 


CHAPTER  IX 

TAKING    POSSESSION" 

IT  took  Erwald  quite  a  long  time  to  summon  Bertha 
to  the  gate.  He  rang,  knocked,  and  shouted  for  ten  min- 
utes, until,  growing  impatient,  he  pushed  up  the  shutter, 
leaned  in  as  far  as  he  could,  succeeded  in  unlatching  the 
door  of  the  porter's  lodge  from  within,  and  admitted  him- 
self, disappearing  into  the  interior,  and  leaving  the  two 
young  people  unchaperoned  in  a  fashion  of  which  the 
gentleman  at  least  was  acutely  conscious. 

Otho  dismounted  Camiola  carefully,  and  together  they 
stood,  contemplating  the  castle;  only  his  eyes  were  fixed, 
not  upon  the  building  but  upon  the  young  girl  who  so 
enthusiastically  admired  it.  She  was  prettier  than  he  had 
supposed — really  quite  pretty,  he  told  himself.  Pretty 
enough  to  fall  in  love  with — almost !  And  with  all  that 
money!  It  seemed  as  if  Fortune,  which  had  always 
treated  him  so  ill,  had  suddenly  turned  and  flung  a  gift 
from  the  skies  into  his  hands. 

At  last  they  heard  the  key  grate  in  the  little  door  which 
was  cut  in  the  big  gate,  and  Erwald,  stepping  out,  went 
to  take  the  mules  in  charge. 

Erau  Esler,  flushed  and  evidently  much  disturbed, 
stood  in  the  courtyard,  and  faced  the  two  who  entered 
with  a  conspicuous  lack  of  welcome.  She  gave  the  curtest 
of  recognitions  to  Camiola,  and  curtseyed  to  Otho  with 
an  air  of  being  anxious  to  box  his  ears. 

Otho  greeted  her  kindly,  though  negligently,  and  asked 
if  Erwald  had  told  her  that  the  Herr  Graf  had  let  the 

92 


TAKING    POSSESSION  93 

castle  for  a  time  to  the  English  Fraulein.  She  answered 
"Yes"  between  tightened  lips,  and,  after  a  slight  hesita- 
tion, crushing  a  corner  of  her  apron  in  her  nervous  hands, 
she  muttered  that  she  could  not  think  why  any  rich  young 
lady  should  want  to  come  up  there  in  such  a  lonely  spot, 
with  nothing  to  amuse  her,  and  an  old  house  with  no 
modern  conveniences. 

Camiola  smiled.  "I  think  it  the  most  beautiful  place 
I  ever  saw,"  she  answered,  "and  you  know  you  do  also, 
don't  you,  Bertha  ?"  It  was  mischievously  said,  and  the 
woman  flushed  as  though  furious  at  being  so  intimately 
approached  by  an  almost  stranger. 

'"Please  don't  be  unkind  to  me,"  went  on  Camiola, 
very  gently,  "for  you  will  never  have  a  tenant  who  will 
be  as  anxious  as  I  am  that  all  the  beautiful  things  here 
should  be  kept  carefully,  and  even  better  than  they  are 
now." 

"Yes,  mem  Gott!  Foreign  servants!"  cried  the  woman, 
as  if  she  could  not  control  herself. 

Her  outcry,  though  strangled  almost  at  birth,  gave 
Camiola  her  cue.  She  explained  forthwith  that  she  did 
not  contemplate  the  enormity  of  foreign  servants,  with 
the  exception  of  her  own  maid.  She  wanted  to  put  the 
arrangements  into  Bertha's  own  hands.  They  had  been 
told  that  she  was  an  excellent  cook,  and  while  in  Tran- 
sylvania the  English  ladies  wished  to  live  according  to 
the  customs  of  the  country.  Would  Bertha  undertake 
the  duties  of  cook  and  housekeeper  ?  She  named  the  sum 
which  she  considered  appropriate  for  such  service. 

Bertha  stood  very  still  during  her  speech,  and  grew 
quite  pale.  It  was  evidently  wholly  unexpected,  and  a 
few  tears  slid  suddenly  from  her  eyes,  to  be  hurriedly 
wiped  away.  "I  do  not  expect  that  I  could  please  the 
likes  of  you,"  she  muttered ;  "I  am  out  of  practice.  Be- 


94  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

sides — besides,  there  is  my  boy — my  nephew,  Eric,  I 
must  go  with  him." 

Otho  dashed  in  at  this  point,  to  explain  that  the  Graf 
had  stipulated  for  the  employment  of  both  her  and  her 
nephew. 

"If  you  had  waited  a  minute,  instead  of  flying  at  the 
gracious  one  like  a  wild-cat,"  he  said,  in  tones  of  annoy- 
ance, "I  would  have  handed  you  the  Graf's  letter.  You 
are  a  fool,  Bertha ;  you  don't  know  when  you  are  well  off." 

Bertha  took  the  letter,  and  with  a  murmured  "Excuse 
me"  read  it  carefully  through.  Her  eyes,  as  she  raised 
them  to  Camiola  when  she  had  finished,  showed  that  she 
had  surrendered.  She  was  not  pleased,  but  she  was  sub- 
missive. 

This  accomplished,  Camiola  plunged  into  business.  She 
hurried  off  with  Bertha  to  inspect  blankets,  glass,  china, 
and  such-like  commodities.  She  went  through  the  bed- 
rooms with  the  eye  of  the  hausfrau  who  wishes  to  supply 
deficiencies,  and  wrote  down  upon  a  list  all  the  things 
she  thought  it  likely  they  might  want.  After  a  time, 
during  which  the  surprising  news  had  had  time  to  sink 
into  Bertha's  mind,  she  reverted  to  the  subject  of  service, 
and  found,  as  Otho  had  predicted,  that  the  woman  thought 
she  could  easily  find  maidens  to  do  most  of  the  work. 
"You  will  not,  however,  be  able  to  converse  with  them," 
she  explained.  "They  speak  no  Saxon.  In  Ildestadt  most 
of  the  tradespeople  are  Saxon;  but  here  on  this  Alp  all 
are  Roumanian,  and  I  know  not  how  you  will  manage 
at  table." 

Camiola  explained  that  she  was  writing  to  England  for 
her  own  butler. 

She  found  that  if  she  brought  back  a  little  bed  linen, 
some  spoons  and  forks,  and  one  or  two  other  indispen- 
sable things  in  the  motor  from  Ilermannstadt,  they  could 
be  sent  up  early  the  following  morning  upon  pack-mules, 


TAKING    POSSESSION  95 

with  her  own  personal  luggage;  and  if  fires  were  lit  at 
once  in  the  rooms  they  were  to  use,  it  would  be  possible 
to  sleep — actually  to  sleep — to-morrow  night  in  her  own 
hired  castle ! 

Bertha  respectfully  begged  her  not  to  ask  to  see  the 
kitehen  that  morning;  by  the  time  the  Herrschaften 
arrived  it  should  all  be  cleaned  up  and  ready.  But,  as 
the  gracious  one  would  understand,  it  was  at  present  her 
living-room  and  in  some  disorder.  She  took  her  new 
mistress  along  the  wide  passage  which  led  to  it,  however 
— the  kitchen  in  use  was  in  the  Tudor  wing — and  showed 
her  a  pleasant  room  which  the  maids  could  use  as  a  ser- 
vants' hall.  Camiola  also  discovered,  with  relief,  that 
they  were  not  quite  so  badly  off  for  bedrooms  as  she  had 
supposed,  not  all  the  resources  of  the  house  being  dis- 
played to  visitors. 

Although  she  did  not  thaw  at  all  in  manner,  there  was 
a  sensible  diminution  of  Bertha's  hostility  as  they  went 
on,  and  she  told  where  in  Ildestadt  the  best  sugar,  flour, 
potatoes,  soap,  blacklead,  and  so  on  was  to  be  had. 
Camiola  asked  her  to  make  a  list  of  such  things  as  she 
should  immediately  require,  and  she  would  take  it  down 
to  Ildestadt  and  see  that  it  was  all  forwarded  at  once; 
the  Graf  himself  was  seeing  about  the  pack-mules  for  her ; 
in  fact,  she  believed  that  Erwald  had  already  procured 
them.  Bertha  said  that  eggs,  milk,  butter,  poultry,  and 
even  meat,  were  to  be  had  from  the  peasants  upon  the 
small  alp  where  Orenfels  was  situated.  Paraffin  for  lamps 
was  the  great  thing  required.  The  lamps  themselves 
could  be  better  procured  in  Hermannstadt,  but  the  oil 
must  come  up  at  once  on  a  mule  from  the  town. 

Never  had  Miss  France  felt  so  businesslike  and  so  in- 
terested. The  question  of  ways  and  means  was  one  which 
had  not,  so  far,  entered  into  her  life.  It  was  quite  thrill- 


96  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

ing  to  fancy  the  changes  she  would  work  in  the  place  in 
the  course  of  the  next  few  days. 

When  all  was  arranged  she  went  to  the  window  of  the 
dining  hall  and  called  to  the  Captain,  who  was  loafing, 
with  his  cigar,  in  the  courtyard.  Bertha,  as  on  the  pre- 
vious occasion,  spread  a  cloth  upon  one  end  of  the  long 
table,  and  set  out  their  sandwiches,  with  a  big  jug  of 
milk. 

"Oh !"  cried  Camiola,  as  von  Courland  entered,  "is  not 
this  fascinating?  I  look  upon  everything  with  such  a 
different  eye  to-day!  On  Monday  I  was  a  mere  visitor, 
now  I  feel  like  an  owner." 

Her  companion  felt  much  inclined  to  ask  whether  she 
would  like  to  make  such  an  arrangement  as  should  secure 
permanent  ownership  to  her,  but  this  he  knew  would  be, 
to  put  it  mildly,  premature.  He  contented  himself  with 
assuming  a  sympathetic,  though  half  bantering,  attitude, 
and  addressing  her  as  Madame  la  Chatelaine. 

"How  is  Bertha  behaving?"  he  asked. 

"Wonderfully  well.  I  am  full  of  sympathy  for  her. 
Can  you  not  feel  how  unwilling  she  must  be  to  make  such 
a  complete  change  in  her  habit  of  life  ?  Just  think  how 
calmly,  how  evenly  her  days  must  roll  by.  And  what  a 
change  is  coming  for  her  when  I  ask  friends  to  come  and 
fill  my  empty  chambers!  When  she  is  used  to  it  I  dare 
say  she-  may  enjoy  it  after  a  fashion,  but  at  present  it 
must  be  a  shock." 

"You  are  going  to  give  her  far  too  much  money,"  he 
remarked. 

"No  more  than  I  should  give  to  a  good  cook  in  Eng- 
land. I  am  making  her  responsible  for  the  running  of 
the  whole  show,  you  must  remember.  By  the  way,  I  won- 
der where  her  nephew  is  ?  Such  a  peppery  youngster ! 
WThen  he  showed  me  over  the  place  the  other  day  I  told 
him  I  was  coming  again,  and  he  earnestly  advised  me 


TAKING    POSSESSION  97 

not !  I  had  been  shown  everything — everything,  he  as- 
sured me.  I  should  like  to  see  his  face  when  he  finds 
that  his  aunt  is  saddled  with  me  for  an  indefinite  period !" 

Her  laugh  rang  gaily  out. 

Von  Courland,  seated  on  a  corner  of  the  table,  laughed 
with  her.  He  felt  absurdly  ready  to  laugh  and  be  gay. 
He  had  often  heard  of  the  straightforward  camaraderie 
of  English  girls,  and  had  always  thought  that  he  should 
dislike  it.  !N"ow  he  took  back  all  such  prejudices.  Had 
an  Austrian  girl  been  in  his  company  under  present  cir- 
cumstances they  would  by  this  time  either  have  embarked 
upon  a  serious  flirtation,  or  been  bored  and  constrained. 
Xo  such  thing  had  now  happened.  He  was,  so  it  seemed, 
at  the  outset  of  a  most  interesting  friendship,  with  a  com- 
panion who  could  not  be  called  lacking  in  feminine  charm, 
yet  who  gave  him  no  openings ;  who,  in  fact,  seemed  with- 
out an  effort  able  to  restrain  him  from  becoming  personal. 
It  was  borne  in  upon  him  that  the  kind  of  conversation 
which  would  appeal  to  the  maidens  of  his  own  race  would 
seem  an  insult  if  offered  to  Camiola  France. 

"Have  some  more  milk,"  said  his  hostess  encourag- 
ingly. "I  am  glad  to  find  that  you  can  drink  milk.  I 
always  understood  that  Austrian  officers  had  wine  for 
breakfast,  dinner,  tea,  and  supper." 

"One  does  get  silly  ideas  into  one's  head  about  other 
nations,"  he  returned  thoughtfully.  "I  always  believed 
that  all  English  girls  had  projecting  teeth  and  enormous 
feet," 

His  eyes  were  fixed,  pensively,  upon  the  neat  brown 
shoes  which  were  visible  below  his  companion's  skirt. 

"I  always  heard  that  Austrian  officers  were  so  eaten 
up  with  conceit  that  it  was  quite  impossible  to  talk  to 
them." 

"My  mother  always  said  that  English  women  were  the 
worst  housekeepers  in  the  world,  yet  here  are  you  arrang- 


98  ACASTLETOLET 

ing  to  keep  house  in  this  wild  spot  as  competently  as  if 
you  had  the  Army  and  Navy  Stores  round  the  corner  and 
electric  light  fitted  all  over  the  house." 

"We  must  become  the  pioneers  of  a  better  understand- 
ing between  the  two  nations,"  began  Camiola,  and  then 
stopped  short,  uncomfortably  conscious  that  this  was  some- 
thing which  might  well  be  construed  as  an  opening.  "I 
mean,"  she  went  on  hurriedly,  "that  dislike  is  usually 
based  on  misunderstanding." 

"If  you  are  going  to  found  a  Society  for  the  Encour- 
agement of  Friendly  Relations,  please  let  me  have  the 
honour  of  being  the  first  member  enrolled,"  he  said  mer- 
rily; and  the  friendliness  of  her  glance  told  him  that  he 
had  taken  the  right  tone,  and  scored  a  point  with  her. 

"This  notion  of  race  hostility  is  so  foolish,"  he  was  be- 
ginning, when  there  came  to  their  ears  the  sound  of  a 
whistle,  sweet  and  full — a  very  exceptional  whistle.  The 
performer  seemed  to  be  approaching  the  half-open  front 
door  from  the  courtyard,  and  was  whistling  the  air  of 
the  "Pilgrim's  Chorus"  from  Tannhsiuser. 

Another  moment  and  the  door  was  pushed  a  little  wider, 
to  admit  of  the  entrance  of  young  Esler.  He  wore  a  grey 
flannel  shirt,  open  at  the  throat,  and  a  pair  of  corduroy 
breeches.  In  one  hand  he  carried  a  tray,  upon  which  were 
placed  three  vases,  of  different  shapes,  filled  with  flowers 
artistically  arranged.  In  the  other  hand,  which  hung  at 
his  side,  was  a  bird-cage  containing  a  fine  canary. 

He  was  so  amazed  at  the  sight  of  the  two  who  sat  there 
eating  lunch  that  he  stopped  dead  just  inside  the  door, 
and  his  whistling  ceased  as  though  a  hand  had  been 
clapped  over  his  mouth.  The  colour  flew  to  his  brown 
face,  and  he  stood  there  confronting  Camiola  with  an 
expression  eo  arresting  that  for  a  moment — just  a  passing 
moment — she  felt  afraid.  The  mere  fact  that  she  was  sen- 


TAKING    POSSESSION  99 

sible  of  that  curious  quailing  caused  her  to  smile  mock- 
ingly as  she  said  to  him: 

"Well,  I  told  you  it  would  be  auf  wiedersehen,,  did  I 
not?" 

His  whole  manner  and  expression  changed  in  one  swift 
second  from  something  like  a  challenge  to  the  polite  in- 
difference of  the  servant  So  complete,  so  rapid  was  the 
change  that  Camiola  felt  a  fool,  as  though  she  had  imag- 
ined a  totally  different  person  from  the  young  peasant 
who  said  quietly: 

"Good  morning^  gracious  one." 

That  was  all.  Inclining  his  head  in  humble  recognition 
of  the  presence  of  the  Captain,  he  walked  across  the  room, 
passed  through  the  door  leading  to  the  kitchen  wing,  and, 
setting  down  what  he  carried  just  without,  closed  the  door 
behind  him  and  was  gone. 

Camiola  sat  staring  at  the  oak  panelling  which  had 
shut  him  out. 

"He  has  not  forgiven  the  gold  piece,"  she  was  saying 
to  herself.  As  if  it  mattered  what  he  thought ! 

"Is  that  Bertha's  nephew  ?"  asked  von  Courland. 

"Yes;  he  is  a  very  competent  guide  to  the  place.  He 
showed  us  over  when  we  were  here  the  other  day,  and  if 
we  had  time  he  should  do  it  again  to-day.  But  we  must 
be  off,  if  you  are  ready.  We  have  not  a  minute  to  lose, 
and  must  make  the  best  of  our  way  down  if  we  want  to 
lunch  and  do  our  shopping  also." 

He  was  quite  ready  and  full  of  alacrity.  Together  they 
went  out  into  the  silent,  sunny  courtyard,  and  through 
the  little  door,  where  Erwald  and  the  mules  awaited  them. 

Neither  Bertha  nor  her  nephew  was  to  be  seen,  and  they 
were  quickly  mounted  and  off,  Camiola  saying,  in  the 
worried  voice  of  one  with  the  cares  of  a  household  upon 
her  shoulders:  "Now,  I  wonder  if  I  have  forgotten  any- 
thing really  important  ?" 


A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

As  they  came  to  the  corner,  previous  to  entering  the 
woods  that  lay  below  the  Alp,  the  girl  turned  her  head 
backward  and  flashed  a  final  glance  at  her  Castle. 

"When  next  I  come  it  will  be  to  stay!"  she  cried,  as 
if  addressing  the  grey  pile. 

As  she  spoke  a  big  white  cloud  eclipsed  the  sunlight 
for  a  moment,  producing  a  curious  illusion,  as  though 
the  fortress  frowned  upon  her.  She  took  herself  to  task 
for  idle  fantasy;  but  in  some  obscure  way  the  passage  of 
young  Esler  through  the  dining  hall  had  blunted  the  edge 
of  her  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  X 

"CHILDE  EOLAND  TO  THE  DABK   TOWER  CAME" 

ABOUT  four  o'clock  the  following  afternoon  the  mule 
cavalcade,  consisting  of  Miss  Purdon,  Miss  France,  Mars- 
ton,  Reed  and  Erwald,  emerged  from  the  wood  and  took 
their  way  towards  the  Castle. 

Marston  was,  as  has  heen  shown,  a  self-possessed  per- 
son, but  she  did  hate  muleback,  and  her  English  heart  did 
sink  at  sight  of  the  remote  spot  in  which  her  eccentric 
young  mistress  had  elected  to  pass  her  holiday. 

Camiola,  on  the  other  hand,  could  not  repress  her  de- 
light. She  felt  as  though,  in  achieving  her  purpose,  she 
had  trampled  down  an  opposition  none  the  less  real  be- 
cause impalpable.  Her  haste  to  leave  the  Blaue  Vb'gel 
was  increased  by  the  fact  that  Miss  Purdon,  although 
sleeping  in  Marston's  room,  had  been  troubled  last  night 
with  another  affrighting  vision,  induced,  as  the  girl  sup- 
posed, by  their  temerarious  intrusion  into  the  Watch 
Tower  itself. 

They  had  duly  accomplished  much  shopping  in  Her- 
mannstadt  the  day  before;  had  dined  there,  and,  return- 
ing between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  at  night,  had  stopped 
the  car  at  Szass  Lona,  Miss  Purdon  and  the  Captain  wait- 
ing while  Camiola  went  in  to  make  inquiries.  Frau 
Maldovan  was  still  alive,  and  that  was  all  that  could  be 
said. 

Camiola  had  her  agreement  with  her,  and  the  General, 
who  was  sitting  in  his  study,  willingly  read  it  for  her. 
He  said  it  was  a  fair  agreement,  advised  her  to  sign  it, 
and  himself  witnessed  the  signature. 

101 


102  -       ACASTLETOLET 

Irmgard,  looking  sadly  wan,  crept  away  from  the  sick- 
room to  give  her  friend  one  kiss,  and  her  father  informed 
her  that  Camiola  had  taken  Orenfels  for  the  rest  of  the 
summer. 

Irmgard  broke  down  into  tears  at  this  news, 

"I  have  been  dreading — dreading  every  day  to  hear 
that  you  were  going  away,"  she  sobbed,  clinging  to 
Camiola.  "It  has  turned  so  hot,  and  I  knew  it  must  be 
stuffy  at  the  Blaue  Vogel,  and  each  time  I  saw  you  I 
thought  it  would  be  the  last.  Now  you  are  fixed  at  Oren- 
fels, and  though  it  is  a  good  way  off,  still  you  are  within 
reach.  We  can  have  news  of  each  other,  and  I  feel  that 
you  are  near,  which  is  such  a  big  consolation." 

Camiola  held  her  close,  whispering  words  of  sympathy 
and  comfort,  mingled  with  assurances  that  she  would 
come  whenever  summoned,  and  do  anything  to  help. 
Then,  as  her  friends  were  awaiting  her,  she  said  good-bye 
and  slipped  away,  cheered  immensely  by  Irmgard's  ap- 
proval. 

"I  thought,"  she  told  Mizpah,  as  they  sped  towards 
Ildestadt,  "that  she  would  think  it  too  far  off,  but  she 
doesn't.  If  I  were  going  to  be  here  longer  I  would  have 
a  telephone  installed.  That  would  make  things  easy. 
But  it  would  be  a  business  getting  those  wires  up  the  hill." 

At  daybreak  a  whole  string  of  pack-mules  had  gone  up 
to  the  Castle  carrying  luggage,  bedding,  and  many  other 
things.  Camiola  was  eager  to  see  what  Bertha  had  accom- 
plished in  the  way  of  preparations.  She  had  yesterday 
selected  the  rooms  they  would  occupy — the  oriel  for  her- 
self, a  room  adjoining  for  Mizpah,  and  a  small  one  across 
the  passage  for  Marston. 

This  time  there  was  no  need  to  knock  for  admission. 
The  little  door  in  the  gate  stood  open,  and  within  could 
be  glimpsed  a  litter  of  straw  and  empty  cases.  The  legend, 
"Zu  Yermiethen"  had  been  removed,  and  "Eintritt,  1 


CHILDE    ROLAND  103 

Krone"  no  longer  appeared  above  the  little  shutter  in  the 
porter's  lodge. 

This  trifling  change  was  pleasing  to  Camiola,  and  it 
was  with  light  feet  and  heart  that  she  stepped  over  the 
bottom  of  the  gate  and  entered  her  domain. 

"I  wonder,"  said  she  aloud,  "if  we  could  get  the  big 
gates  to  open?  They  look  as  if  they  had  not  moved  on 
their  hinges  for  centuries." 

This  matter  was  not,  however,  urgent.  She  hastened 
forward  up  the  curved  steps  and  entered  the  dining  hall. 

She  uttered  an  exclamation  of  keen  pleasure. 

The  whole  place  had  been,  as  it  were,  miraculously  pol- 
ished in  one  night.  The  old  oak  shone.  Huge  logs  blazed 
upon  the  hearth,  and,  hot  as  it  had  been  in  the  town 
below,  the  fire  seemed  pleasant  here.  Bertha  had  pro- 
duced and  laid  down  fine  old  faded  Persians  rugs,  which 
she  usually  kept  rolled  up  in  cupboards.  There  were 
flowers  upon  the  glossy  table ;  and  a  huge  tabby  cat,  find- 
ing a  soft  rug  and  a  warm  hearth,  had  curled  herself  up 
to  sleep  in  a  manner  which  suggested  domesticity  and 
comfort. 

Upstairs  ran  the  happy,  excited  Camiola  and  peeped 
into  her  drawing-room  with  the  oriel.  Here,  too,  was  the 
delicious,  acrid  odour  of  wood  fire — here,  too,  the  floor 
had  been  covered  with  rugs,  some  Oriental,  some  of  wolf- 
skin and  bearskin.  Here,  too,  were  flowers  and  cleanli- 
ness. 

In  the  bedrooms  the  same  order  prevailed.  Things  had 
been  unpacked  and  put  in  their  places  as  if  by  the  hand 
of  a  good  fairy.  Miss  Purdon  could  not  believe  her  eyes : 
and  Marston  heaved  a  sigh  as  she  laid  down  her  mistress's 
travelling-bag  with  the  remark : 

"Well,  miss,  I  will  say  as  things  might  have  been  a  deal 
worse !" 

Camiola,  laughing,  hardly  waited  to  hear  her,  running 


104  ACASTLETOLET 

down  again  fleetly  to  find  Frau  Esler  and  express  her 
satisfaction.  Meeting  on  the  wide  oak  stair  a  couple  of 
rosy  girls  in  curious-looking  frocks,  she  divined  that  these 
were  members  of  her  new  household,  and  gave  them  greet- 
ing in  a  manner  which  caused  them  to  blush  and  beam 
and  run  away  in  an  access  of  unbearable  shyness. 

Just  as  she  entered  the  dining  hall  Frau  Esler  also 
came  in  from  the  kitchen  entrance.  Camiola  poured  out 
her  pleasure  and  satisfaction  with  many  prachtvolls  and 
reizends.  The  gloom  upon  the  good  woman's  brow  did 
seem  to  lighten  a  little  at  this  spontaneous  tribute. 

"I  am  glad  if  the  hochwohlgeborene  is  pleased,"  she 
said  primly.  "I  was  coming  to  ask  if  I  should  send  up 
tea  to  the  drawing-room?" 

"Yes,  please,"  Camiola  agreed  with  satisfaction;  "that 
will  do  beautifully." 

"I  also  wish  to  say,"  went  on  Bertha,  with  the  air  of 
much  disliking  her  message,  "that,  as  the  young  girls  are 
far  too  shy  to  wait  upon  you,  and  your  own  servant  can- 
not be  here  for  several  days,  my  nephew  will  bring  in 
your  supper.  I  am  aware,"  she  added  hurriedly,  "that 
in  future  the  Herrschaften  will  dine  late  in  the  English 
fashion,  but  for  to-day  I  have  been  so  busy  that  I  have 
only  been  able  to  prepare  supper  for  them." 

"You  have  worked  wonders,"  replied  this  complaisant 
mistress,  "and  supper  will  do  quite  well  for  to-night,  until 
our  silver  and  things  are  here.  I  shall  be  much  obliged 
to  your  nephew  if  he  will  help  as  you  suggest,  and,  of 
course,  I  will  pay  him  well." 

The  final  words  seemed  to  wipe  out  the  good  effect 
made  by  the  rest  of  her  speech.  Bertha  frowned  heavily 
as  she  turned  away  with  a  curtsey ;  and  when  she  frowned 
she  was  really  a  very  forbidding-looking  woman.  She 
turned  back  at  the  door  to  ask  at  what  hour  they  would 
like  to  have  supper  served.  Then  she  went  out. 


CHILDE    ROLAND  105 

When  they  had  explored  upstairs  a  little,  the  two  ladies 
repaired  to  the  drawing-room,  where  they  found  a  small 
table  placed  in  the  oriel  with  tea  neatly  set  out. 

Eeed  and  Marston,  both  very  uncomfortable  and  wholly 
on  the  defensive,  were  despatched  to  the  society  of  Erwald 
and  the  new  maids  in  the  servants'  hall. 

"They  will  soon  learn  a  few  words,  or  insist  upon  teach- 
ing the  others  a  little  English,"  said  Camiola.  "It  is 
awfully  good  for  them  all.  Oh,  how  glorious  the  sunshine 
is  here!  What  a  prospect!  Just  look  at  Ildestadt!  It 
is  like  the  enchanted  city  in  a  fairy  tale,  or  a  bit  of  the 
Middle  Ages  cut  clean  out  and  put  here  for  our  joy  and 
satisfaction.  See  the  old  walls,  zigzagging  up  and  down 
hill,  and  the  darling  little  pepper-pot  towers !  I  can  just 
descry  the  low,  dumpy  battlements  of  the  Watch  Tower, 
Mizpah." 

"Don't  show  it  to  me!  I  want  to  forget  it,"  replied 
the  lady  with  a  shudder.  "I  have  just  remembered  what 
it  makes  me  think  of.  It  is  exactly  like  the  Dark  Tower 
in  'Childe  Roland.'  " 

Camiola,  seated  in  the  window  with  the  westering  sun 
making  a  halo  for  her  hair,  clapped  her  hands  gaily  to- 
gether. "Mizpah,  you  are  clever,"  she  declared,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  quote : 

"Burningly  it  came  on  me  all  at  once ! 
This  was  the  place!  .  .  . 
What  in  the  midst  lay  but  the  Tower  itself? 
The  round  squat  turret,  blind  as  the  fool's  heart, 
Built  of  brown  stone,  without  a  counterpart 
In  the  whole  world! 

"That's  it,  of  course.  Only  this  one  is  square,  not  round 
—but  blind  and  squat!  Oh,  yes,  it  is  the  place,  and  all 
the  brave  adventurers  of  the  ages  have  been  lost  there — 


106  ACASTLETOLET 

have  gone  in,  yet  never  come  out,  as  you  saw  in  your 
dream.  But  that  has  not  been  our  fate,  Mizpah!  We 
at  last  are  the  fairy  prince!  I  wonder  whether  there  is 
a  family  prophecy  about  us!  I  must  ask  Captain  von 
Courland.  He  says  they  had  a  curse  laid  upon  them  that 
nobody  should  inherit  in  the  direct  line  for  ten  genera- 
tions: and  nobody  has." 

"Now  don't,  I  beg  of  you,  Camiola,  go  making  me  feel 
creepy  when  I  am  just  beginning  to  breathe  more  freely," 
said  Mizpah,  half  laughing,  half  vexed. 

"Creepy?  It  is  not  creepy!  It  is  just  delightful! 
Captain  von  Courland  says  I  have  come  to  turn  the  family 
luck,"  cried  the  girl.  "It  is  simply  fascinating.  You 
know  how,  in  the  old  adventure  stories,  everything  con- 
spires to  prevent  the  rescuer  from  approaching!  Dogs 
with  eyes  as  big  as  mill-wheels  guard  the  treasure,  leaping 
flames  make  a  circle  round  the  sleeping  maiden,  thickets 
grow  up  on  the  hill-side  and  shut  out  the  palace  from  view ! 
I  feel  as  if  that  is  so  with  me,  and  I  can't  just  tell  you 
why.  I  have  had  no  difficulties — I  have  secured  my 
castle  with  very  little  trouble;  and  yet  I  feel  as  if  there 
had  been  forces  working  against  me,  as  if  there  were  some- 
body hostile,  somebody  who  wanted  the  old  place  to  stay 
desolate,  who  is  against  me  in  an  odd  way  which  I  cannot 
yet  discern." 

She  spoke  dreamily,  her  eyes  upon  the  rose-garden 
below.  "It  is  all  so  like  a  story,"  she  murmured.  "I 
cannot  somehow  believe  it  to  be  real.  These  gardens  are 
like  the  illustrations  for  'Beauty  and  the  Beast.'  I  could 
fancy  a  horrible  creature  lurking  behind  the  bushes,  who 
will  approach  when  I  pluck  a  rose  and  tell  me  that  by  my 
simple  action  I  have  given  myself  into  his  power! 
Heigho !  I  wish  I  wrote  stories,  Mizpah !  What  a  place 
this  would  be  for  a  novelist,  only  perhaps  he  would  say: 
"Really,  I  think  the  local  colour  is  laid  on  almost  too 


CHILDE    ROLAND  107 

thick.    A  modern  audience  wouldn't  stand  this — what  ?' ' 

Miss  Purdon  had  to  laugh  at  her  swift  mimicry  of  a 
certain  modern  novelist  who  lived  in  terror  of  putting  any- 
thing into  his  work  which  would  involve  the  use  of  his 
readers'  imagination. 

"How  you  do  run  on,  Camiola !  And  the  other  day 
Mrs.  Archer  said  to  me,  'Miss  France  seems  a  nice  girl, 
but  she  is  very  silent,  is  she  not  ?' ' 

Camiola  laughed  contentedly.  "Poor  old  Mizpah,  you'll 
never  get  any  credit  for  all  you  have  to  endure.  Now  I 
am  going  upstairs  to  insist  that  Marston  forthwith  pro- 
duces writing  materials,  and  I  am  going  to  write  to  Uncle 
Arnold  and  to  Neville  to  come  at  once.  I  shall  also 
command  Neville  to  bring  Betty  with  him.  I  am  sure 
that  she  and  Captain  von  Courland  will  get  on  well  to- 
gether, and  she  has  quite  a  creditable  dot  into  the  bargain. 
She  can  bring  a  maid;  there  are  plenty  of  little  funny 
rooms  where  we  can  put  maids.  Oh,  dear,  these  gardens 
do  beckon  me,  but  I  will  be  sternly  virtuous  and  write  my 
letters  first.  The  Brieftrdger  starts  off  down  the  hill  at 
five  o'clock  these  summer  mornings,  BO  they  tell  me,  when 
there  are  any  letters  to  carry.  He  will  be  worked  off 
his  feet  during  the  next  month  or  two,  will  he  not,  poor 
soul?" 

She  opened  the  door  and  left  the  room,  singing  to  her- 
self. 

Stepping  from  the  drawing-room  door,  one  stood  upon 
a  square  landing ;  opposite  was  the  door  of  the  long  gallery, 
approached  by  a  flight  of  four  oak  steps,  curved,  like  the 
stone  ones  in  the  courtyard. 

The  gallery  was  the  pride  of  the  castle,  and  was  panelled 
in  its  whole  extent  with  finely  carved  wood.  In  the  panels 
were  some  family  portraits,  not  of  a  high  order  of  merit, 
but  good  enough  to  be  interesting. 

Along  this  gallery  walked  the  new  mistress,  humming 


108  ACASTLETOLET 

softly  to  herself,  and  passed  out  into  a  farther  landing, 
whence  opened  her  own  room  and  Mizpah's. 

She  found  Marston  at  work  unpacking — evidently  the 
difficulty  of  communication  with  the  foreign  maids  had 
cut  short  the  coffee  drinking. 

Finding  a  charming  table  in  black  wood  with  elaborate 
carving  and  claw  feet,  Miss  France  sat  down  and  wrote 
her  letters.  When  she  had  done,  and  had  superintended 
Marston's  arrangements,  it  was  time  to  change  her  dress. 

Marston  had  laid  out  a  rose-coloured  ninon,  and  though 
she  thought  it  rather  full  dress  for  the  occasion,  she  would 
not  put  her  maid,  who  had  had  a  hard  day,  to  the  trouble 
of  producing  another.  She  sat  down  to  have  her  hair 
arranged  before  a  glass  in  a  frame  of  black  carved  wood — 
a  glass  which  had  in  all  probability  reflected  the  faces  of 
the  ladies  of  the  Vajda-Maros  for  two  or  three  centuries. 
Its  merits  were  more  of  the  artistic  than  the  practical 
order,  and  she  had  to  consult  her  own  hand-glass  for  de- 
tails. 

Nevertheless,  she  loved  that  mirror,  and  determined 
that  it  should  be  brought  from  its  seclusion  upon  the  dark- 
est wall  of  the  room  and  placed  before  a  part  of  the  big 
inullioned  window  upon  the  table  which  matched  it.  There 
was  another  handsome  table  in  red  lacquer  which  she 
could  use  for  her  writing. 

She  was  charmed  with  her  room,  and  was  anticipating, 
with  shivers  of  delicious  apprehension,  how  she  would 
feel  when  lying  in  that  huge  bed  under  that  dignified 
canopy.  Miss  Purdon  had  insisted  upon  a  modern  bed, 
and  the  fine  old  four-poster  from  her  room  had  been 
moved  into  another:  but  Camiola  felt  as  if,  to  taste  the 
full  flavour  of  her  castle,  she  must  sleep  in  the  appro- 
priate bed. 

At  seven  o'clock  a  horn  blew,  and  the  ladies,  rightly 
supposing  that  this  was  their  dinner  bell,  looked  at  each 


CHILDE    ROLAND  109 

other  and  laughed.  "Childe  Roland  again,"  said  Camiola 
mischievously. 

As  she  descended  the  slippery  oak  stairs,  the  girl  felt 
rather  incongruous — her  soft,  vaporous  draperies  were, 
she  felt,  not  the  right  thing.  It  ought  to  have  been  bro- 
cade; that  would  stand  alone  when  you  stepped  out  of 
it.  Before  the  sideboard,  exactly  facing  her,  stood  young 
Esler,  watching  her  advance.  He  was  attired  in  the  full 
costume  of  the  Ildenthal — and  very  becoming  it  was.  The 
snowy  shirt,  cut  very  full,  served  as  a  tunic,  hanging  in 
folds  to  the  knees,  and  held  in  at  the  waist  by  a  broad 
belt  of  scarlet  leather.  Below  were  tight  trousers,  or  leg- 
gings, of  white  cloth.  The  whole  effect  was  extremely 
picturesque. 

As  her  eyes  met  his  she  encountered  the  resistance,  the 
challenge,  of  which  she  had  before  been  sensible,  and 
because  this  vexed  her  she  dashed  into  talk. 

"How  funny  to  have  no  doors  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs ! 
I  think  we  must  import  a  big  screen,  otherwise,  when  the 
weather  turns  cold,  we  shall  be  blown  away !"  said  she 
to  Miss  Purdon  in  English.  Then,  in  German,  to  Esler : 
"What  are  these  funny  little  low  gates  for  at  the  foot  of 
the  stairs?"  she  asked. 

"They  were  to  prevent  the  dogs  from  going  upstairs," 
replied  the  young  man  with  a  start.  "Many  dogs  were 
kept,  and  they  used  to  be  allowed  in  the  dining-hall,  but 
no  farther." 

They  seated  themselves,  and  he  put  before  them  clear 
soup  with  tiny  balls  of  potato  in  it.  It  was  quite  excellent. 

This  was  followed  by  a  plate  of  carefully  sliced  sau- 
sage, garnished  with  delicious  salad.  Fried  veal  cutlet, 
served  with  green  peas,  was  far  more  delicate  and  better 
cooked  than  at  the  Blaue  Vogel.  The  sweet  was  a  com- 
pote of  mountain  raspberries  served  on  hot  toast,  and  the 


110  A    CASTLE    TO   LET 

coffee  which  brought  the  supper  to  an  end  was  without 
reproach. 

The  young  man  moved  silent-footed  and  very  deft. 
They  could  hear  a  few  smothered  giggles  from  the  girls 
who  were  bringing  things  to  the  door  for  him  and  carry- 
ing them  away.  Except  for  that,  the  whole  meal,  both  as 
regards  cooking  and  serving,  could  hardly  have  been  better. 

Secure  in  the  fact  that  the  young  man  understood  no 
English,  they  talked  freely,  expressing  their  satisfaction 
at  their  change,  both  of  lodging  and  of  cuisine,  and 
strolled  out  into  the  garden,  in  the  twilight,  feeling  more 
at  home  and  far  more  comfortable  than  they  had  dared 
to  foresee. 


THE   GARDEN    CAVE 

AFTER  supper  Mizpah  put  up  her  feet  upon  the  cush- 
iony window-seat  of  the  oriel  and  prepared  to  be  lazy 
with  a  book. 

There  was  a  restlessness  upon  Camiola  born  of  excite- 
ment. She  longed  to  savour  to  the  very  utmost  the  sen- 
sation of  being  mistress  of  this  castle. 

Going  to  her  bedroom,  she  fetched  a  cloak,  in  case  the 
mountain  air  should  be  sharp,  and,  opening  the  door  which 
led  from  outside  the  dining-hall  to  the  terrace  at  the  back, 
she  stepped  out  into  the  windless  beauty  of  the  early 
summer  night 

Night  you  could  hardly  call  it  The  west  still  glowed 
with  the  fires  of  sunset,  though  in  the  east  the  stars  were 
appearing.  The  fragrance  of  the  roses  hung  heavy  over 
everything,  and  in  the  stillness  the  sound  of  rushing  water 
could  be  heard  distinctly,  though  not  loudly,  like  an  ac- 
companiment to  the  evening  hymn  of  creation. 

Twice  or  thrice  she  strolled  round  the  bowling  green, 
and  then,  encouraged  by  the  warmth  and  dryness  of  the 
air,  she  began  to  descend  the  winding  paths  of  the  slope 
down  into  the  lower  parts  of  the  gardens,  where  she  had 
not  previously  walked.  It  was  not  unlike  the  hill-side 
terraces  of  the  Villa  d'Este  at  Tivoli.  The  same  period 
of  taste  had  produced  both.  There  were  surprises  as  you 
turned  corners:  grey  stone  fauns,  their  pedestals  clustered 
about  with  creepers  or  hidden  by  clumps  of  fuchsias,  and 
a  delightful  gold-fish  pond,  embroidered  with  water-lily 

111 


ACASTLETOLET 

leaves,  and  presided  over  by  a  marble  nymph  with  a 
renaissance  smile — a  charming  bit  of  sculpture  and  de- 
sign. 

At  the  garden  end,  not  very  far  from  the  wall  which 
bordered  the  lowest  part  of  the  grounds,  the  rockwork 
of  the  beds  was  curved  aside,  leaving  room  for  a  marble 
seat  with  carved  arms  and  a  back  which  sloped  most  rest- 
fully. 

Here  Camiola  seated  herself.  Her  back  was  towards 
the  valley,  and  she  faced  an  almost  vertical  bit  of  rough 
rock,  over  which  the  cistus  or  rock-rose  clustered  thickly 
in  all  shades  of  lovely  colour.  The  ivy-leaved  toadflax 
flung  down  fairy  garlands  to  veil  the  boulders,  and  here 
and  there  the  fiery  tropaBolum  made  blazes  of  glory  upon 
the  grey  face  of  the  rock.  The  path  down  which  she 
had  come  passed  along  the  top  of  this  steep  bit  and  curved 
sharply  down  on  one  side,  in  a  loop,  to  the  place  where 
she  sat.  She  could  hear  the  slow  drip  of  some  tiny  run- 
nel, falling  rhythmically  from  the  top,  but  she  could  not 
see  where  it  fell. 

Ah,  she  was  glad — glad  from  the  bottom  of  her  heart 
— to  have  left  the  close  atmosphere  of  the  mediaeval  city 
and  to  be  up  here  upon  the  free  mountain  side!  She 
raised  her  eyes  to  the  heights.  Not  much  was  visible 
from  her  position,  but  she  could  see  one  or  two  of  the 
lower  peaks,  and  she  smiled  at  them  as  she  whispered, 
"I  am  going  to  climb,  to  come  quite  near  you,  perhaps  to 
stand  upon  your  very  summits !" 

Lost  in  dreaming  she  sat  there,  no  breath  of  wind  reach- 
ing the  charmed  spot.  It  was  so  full  of  fragrance,  of 
quiet,  of  beauty,  that  she  thought  it  would  be  lovely  to 
bring  out  cushions  and  an  eider-down  quilt  and  sleep 
here  in  the  garden.  By  degrees,  as  she  grew  more  and 
more  still,  her  ear,  accustoming  itself  to  the  tinkle  of  the 
dripping  water,  began  to  be  conscious  of  another  sound. 


THE    GARDEN    CAVE  113 

It  was  like  a  muffled  rattling  or  shaking.  It  was  inter- 
mittent, sometimes  being  prolonged,  sometimes  in  jerks. 
It  was  so  faint  that  had  any  other  noise  competed  she 
could  not  have  heard  it.  In  the  present  stillness  it  was 
just  audible.  She  supposed  it  to  be  made  by  some  small 
animal,  scratching  in  the  grass  near,  and  amused  herself 
by  trying  to  locate  it.  Then,  while  she  was  listening  quite 
eagerly — for  it  seemed  to  come  now  from  this  side,  now 
from  that — it  ceased,  and  was  followed  by  a  faint  rever- 
beration, as  though  some  one  let  something  drop  a  long 
way  off  or  from  beyond  some  barrier. 

Instinctively  she  looked  behind,  but  nothing  was  to  be 
seen.  It  occurred  to  her  that  she  was  perhaps  hearing 
some  echo  from  the  town  so  far  below,  carried  up  by  a 
trick  of  acoustics.  She  heard  several  more  faint,  booming 
sounds,  as  of  things  being  moved  about,  and  was  just  going 
to  rise  and  go  nearer  to  the  wall  behind  her  in  order  to 
listen,  when  a  movement  in  front  of  her  caught  her  atten- 
tion and  made  her  jump  horribly. 

The  creepers  which  veiled  the  rock  at  its  base  parted  in 
the  midst,  and  young  Esler  came,  apparently,  out  of  the 
rock  itself. 

He  was  in  the  shadow,  and  at  first  she  could  not  see 
who  he  was,  for  he  wore  a  sheepskin  coat  over  his  white 
costume.  She  sprang  to  her  feet  in  a  hurry.  The  young 
man,  on  the  contrary,  could  see  her  plainly — her  dark 
furs,  rose-coloured  robe,  and  sparkling  shoe-buckles  being 
all  plain  in  what  light  there  was,  and  also  in  the  rays  of 
a  lantern  which  he  carried,  which  shed  a  most  brilliant 
light. 

"Oh,  how  you  startled  me !  Where  did  you  come  from  ?" 
she  cried,  with  a  little  laugh  of  relief,  when  he  came  for- 
ward and  she  saw  who  it  was. 

<%I  am  very  sorry,  gracious  one.     I  did  not  know  you 


114  ACASTLETOLET 


were  there,"  he  replied  in  his  tones  of  most  frigid  dis- 
approval. 

As  always,  this  attitude  of  his  roused  Camiola  to  assert 
herself.  Why  should  she  not  walk  in  '  her  own  garden  ? 
"There  is  nothing  very  strange  in  my  strolling  in  the 
garden,  I  suppose,"  she  said  sharply. 

"Nothing,  of  course,"  he  replied  impassively,  turning 
away  to  walk  up  the  path. 

"Wait  !"  said  Camiola  with  some  sharpness.  Then,  as 
he  turned  back,  "What  were  you  doing  there?  Is  there 
a  cave?"  she  asked. 

"A  very  small  one,  gracious  one.  I  keep  my  gardening 
tools  there." 

"Your  tools  !  Do  you  keep  these  gardens  in  this  beau- 
tiful order?"  she  asked,  astonished. 

"I  have  two  men  to  work  for  me,"  he  answered. 

"Let  me  see  your  tool-cave,"  she  demanded  impulsively. 

He  glanced  at  her  dress.  "In  those  clothes  ?"  he  asked 
doubtfully. 

She  laughed.     "That  won't  hurt!" 

He  made  no  further  demur,  but  held  aside  the  trails 
of  passion-flower,  and,  when  they  had  fallen  behind  them, 
she  saw  by  the  lantern's  light  a  little  door. 

He  put  in  a  key,  turned  it,  and  admitted  her  to  a  small 
cave.  It  contained  various  flower-pots,  a  wheelbarrow, 
and  some  gardening  tools;  hanks  of  bass  and  packets  of 
seed  were  ranged  in  orderly  fashion  upon  shelves. 

The  space  in  the  midst  was  not  very  great 

"Not  much  to  see,"  remarked  Esler  dryly. 

Upon  the  wheelbarrow  there  rested  a  round  sifter,  such 
as  is  used  to  sift  ashes.  The  barrow  was  half  full  of 
silver  sand.  On  the  ground  beside  it  were  a  couple  of 
small  sacks,  evidently  full  of  the  same  sand. 

"What  do  you  use  the  sand  for?"  she  asked  idly,  for 
the  sake  of  saying  something. 


THE    GARDEN    CAVE  114J 

"To  mix  with  soil  which  is  too  heavy,"  he  replied. 

"You  were  sifting  it  just  now — I  could  hear  you,  and 
wondered  what  it  was,"  she  laughed.  He  made  no  reply. 
"You  work  late,"  she  added. 

"I  have  some  potting  to  do  to-morrow,"  he  answered. 

"Well,  thank  you,  for  gratifying  my  curiosity,"  she 
said.  "This  is  a  very  nice  cave.  It  would  be  handy  if  I 
were  caught  in  the  rain.  Why  do  you  keep  it  locked  ?" 

"My  master's  orders,"  he  replied  shortly. 

It  was  not  until  they  were  outside  and  had  proceeded 
some  way  up  the  hill  towards  the  castle  that  she  remem- 
bered he  had  so  held  the  lantern  as  to  light  up  the  imme- 
diate foreground  only,  and  to  give  no  idea  of  the  extent 
of  the  cave. 

Her  mind  did  not,  however,  dwell  upon  this,  which  was 
only  in  keeping  with  the  proud  peasant's  general  air  of 
fixed  resentment.  She  did  find  herself  wishing  that  she 
had  not  hurt  his  pride  by  insisting  upon  his  accepting 
her  gratuity.  But,  after  all,  what  did  it  matter?  His 
feelings  were  nothing  to  her. 

It  was  all  forgotten  in  the  delight  of  disrobing  and  go- 
ing to  bed  in  her  state  chamber.  The  communicating 
door  between  her  own  room  and  Mizpah's  was  left  open, 
in  case  the  latter  lady  might  sleep  badly  or  feel  nervous ; 
but  when  the  morrow  dawned  both  of  them  had  slept  with- 
out once  rousing. 

Camiola  was  in  such  spirits  that  she  danced  in  and  out 
of  Mizpah's  room  all  the  time  she  was  dressing,  with 
chatter  and  nonsense.  She  opened  her  casement,  hung 
perilously  out  to  gather  roses  from  the  wall,  sang  snatches 
of  songs,  and  declared  herself  ready  to  kiss  the  very  stones 
of  the  castle  which  she  loved  so  dearly. 

Captain  von  Courland  rode  up  from  Ildestadt  in  time 
for  lunch,  and  it  was  a  very  festive  meal  indeed.  The 
mountain  mutton  proved  to  be  excellent,  and  there  were 


116  A    CASTLE    TO   LET 

some  little  birds  to  be  caught  by  the  dozen,  rather  like 
sand-grouse,  which  Frau  Esler  dished  up  most  temptingly. 
The  cream,  the  butter,  the  wild  raspberries  were  all  good, 
and  it  seemed  that  whatever  happened  they  would  not  be 
starved  at  Orenfels. 

Throughout  the  meal  Esler  waited  upon  them,  sullenly 
but  efficiently. 

It  appeared  that  Captain  von  Courland  had  taken  to 
heart  what  Miss  France  had  said  to  him  about  learning 
English.  He  was  most  anxious  to  begin,  but  could  find 
nobody  in  Ildestadt  competent  to  teach.  Camiola  volun- 
teered to  try.  It  was  arranged  that  the  young  man  should 
come  regularly  twice  a  week  for  this  purpose. 

After  lunch  they  had  coffee  upon  the  bowling  green,  and 
Frau  Esler  produced  a  box  of  bowls,  with  which  they 
amused  themselves  very  satisfactorily  the  whole  after- 
noon, winding  up  with  an  English  lesson,  in  which  the 
pupil  covered  himself  with  distinction,  and  it  appeared 
that  he  had  learned  something  at  school  which  purported 
to  be  English,  but  feared  to  venture  upon  experimenting 
with  his  meagre  knowledge. 

Camiola  promised  to  write  to  England  for  an  advanced 
primer,  and  when  he  left  in  the  sunset  to  ride  home  he  felt 
that  during  that  day  he  had  made  excellent  progress. 

Reed  had  spent  the  day  in  going  down  to  Ildestadt, 
getting  out  the  car  and  running  it  to  Szass  Lona  for  news. 
He  returned  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  with  the 
news  of  Frau  Maldovan's  death. 

They  were,  of  course,  not  unprepared,  but  the  last  bul- 
letin had  not  led  them  to  expect  the  blow  to  fall  quite  so 
soon.  In  fact,  the  final  rally  had  been  so  surprising  that 
a  faint  hope  had  arisen  that  the  patient's  fine  constitution 
might  triumph  after  all. 

Camiola  was  plunged  into  deep  grief.  Loss  of  parents 
was  the  trouble  which  she  herself  could  most  easily  un- 


THE    GARDEN    CAVE  117 

derstand.  Her  reserved  but  sympathetic  nature  lived 
over  again  the  horrors  of  her  own  times  of  bereavement. 
She  passed  a  restless  night,  and  awoke  next  morning  in 
deep  depression. 

She  had  her  coffee  and  rolls  in  her  own  room,  put  on  a 
black  frock,  and  ordered  Erwald  to  be  ready  with  her  mule 
early.  As  she  came  down  the  stairs,  her  heavy  eyelids, 
white  face  and  mourning  garb  made  her  look  a  completely 
different  creature  from  the  young  girl  who  had  run  about 
the  gardens  so  merrily  only  yesterday. 

Esler  was  standing  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  as  she 
came  down.  She  averted  her  eyes  and  would  have  hur- 
ried past  him,  but  his  voice  detained  her.  It  was  more 
gentle  than  she  had  yet  heard  it. 

"Pardon,  gracious  one,  there  are  many  white  flowers  in 
the  garden ;  I  thought  perhaps " 

She  stopped  short.  "Oh !"  she  broke  in,  and  she  smiled, 
though  the  tears  sprang  to  her  eyes  afresh.  "How  good 
of  you,  how  kind  of  you,  to  think  of  that!" 

She  saw  then  that  he  carried  a  basket  and  a  pair  of 
gardening  scissors. 

"I  did  not  like  to  cut  them  without  permission,"  he 
murmured  deferentially,  "but  if  you  will  come  with  me, 
it  would  not  take  long.  The  lilies  are  just  at  their  per- 
fection." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  terrace,  along  it,  down  some  steps 
at  the  far  end,  into  a  little  square  pleasance  enclosed  by 
yew  hedges,  to  which  she  had  not  hitherto  penetrated. 

All  the  flowers  which  grew  there  were  white.  The  tall 
Madonna  lilies  filled  the  air  with  perfume.  He  cut  them 
with  a  lavish  hand,  adding  the  drift-white  Frau  Karl 
Druschki  roses,  white  stock,  pyrethrum,  antirrhinum,  jas- 
mine. She  was  deeply  touched,  and,  when  her  basket  was 
filled,  she  ventured,  quite  shyly,  to  ask  whether  he  would 


118  ACASTLETOLET 

make  a  wreath  for  the  funeral,  which  was  to  be  two  days 
later. 

He  consented  readily,  though  he  said  it  would  be  his 
first  attempt,  and  that  she  must  therefore  forgive  short- 
comings. They  parted  more  amicably  than  ever  before. 

When  she  returned  that  evening  she  brought  Hilda  and 
Conrad  with  her.  Conrad  was  a  nervous,  highly-strung 
boy,  and  his  unrestrained  indulgence  in  his  grief  was  do- 
ing him  harm.  Death  had  not  previously  come  near  him, 
and  it  was  terrifying  to  his  vivid  imagination. 

Camiola  was  beginning  to  love  him,  and  it  was  sweet  to 
see  how  tender  she  was  with  both  children.  She  sat  by 
Conrad's  bed  that  night  until  he  slept;  and  during  the 
whole  of  the  next  morning  she  kept  them  out  of  doors  in 
the  garden  quietly  amused.  She  planned  a  picnic  lunch- 
eon on  the  bowling  green,  and  found  Esler  not  merely 
ready  but  eager  to  carry  the  food  out  of  doors  and  to  do 
all  he  could  to  contribute  to  the  completeness  of  the  ar- 
rangements. 

After  lunch,  with  the  new  timidity  which  the  knowl- 
edge of  his  young  mistress's  sorrow  seemed  to  have  bred  in 
him,  he  suggested  that  perhaps  the  young  Herrschaften 
might  like  to  go  over  the  cave. 

This  was  a  very  bright  idea,  and  it  had  not  occurred  to 
Camiola,  whose  mind  was  preoccupied  with  the  thought 
of  what  Irmgard  was  going  through  during  these  days. 

The  children  were  covered  up  in  overalls,  she  exchanged 
her  black  for  a  very  short  tweed  skirt,  and  they  plunged 
into  the  old  keep  stairway  in  much  excitement.  Neither 
child  had  ever  been  in  the  cave  before,  though  they  had 
often  heard  of  it.  They  chattered  all  the  time  about  the 
Black  Dragon,  on  which  subject  Esler  was  not  communi- 
cative. 

Conrad  wanted  to  know  all  about  it — where  it  lived, 


THE    GARDEN   CAVE  119 

what  were  its  habits,  whether  it  was  likely  to  appear  in 
the  castle,  and  so  on. 

Camiola  and  Esler  combined  to  pooh-pooh  this  last  idea. 
To  begin  with,  said  Camiola,  there  was  no  dragon ;  it  was 
only  a  foolish  old  story ;  but  even  if  there  had  been  it  was 
nowhere  near  the  castle,  nor  had  it  ever  been  seen  any- 
where within  miles  of  it,  even  in  the  old  days  when  it  was 
supposed  to  appear. 

"Tell  us  about  Saint  Ildemund,  who  killed  the  dragon," 
said  Conrad,  when  they  were  all  seated  on  a  rock  near 
the  subterranean  stream,  eating  chocolate  and  drinking 
the  clear  ice-cold  water. 

The  boy  was  snuggled  close  against  Camiola,  whose  arm 
was  round  him,  her  cheek  resting  upon  his  curly  hair. 
Esler,  seated  upon  his  stone  close  by,  replied:  "Well,  ac- 
cording to  the  legend  my  aunt  has  told  me,  the  old  saint 
went  to  work  so  sensibly  that  it  really  almost  sounds  as  if 
the  story  were  true.  He  did  not  get  any  sword  or  spear, 
or  anything  of  the  kind.  You  have  seen  his  picture  on  the 
shrine,  and  also  on  the  window  of  the  Frauenkirche  in 
Ildestadt.  What  has  he  in  his  hand  ?" 

"A  thing  that  looks  like  an  anchor,"  replied  Hilda,  who 
was  a  very  observant  child. 

"Yes,  Fraulein,  but  it  is  not  an  anchor ;  it  is  just  a  pick- 
axe," replied  Esler.  "The  story  says  that  the  people  were 
in  great  tribulation,  because  the  dragon  lay  in  wait  for 
sheep  and  oxen,  and  even  men,  and  caught  them.  He  in- 
habited a  certain  cave,  not  so  very  far  from  the  little  cell 
in  which  Ildemund  himself  lived.  The  saint's  cave  was 
so  small  that  he  was  quite  safe  when  he  was  inside;  the 
monster  could  not  enter,  and  it  feared  the  daylight,  and 
only  came  out  after  dark.  The  saint  made  a  practice  of 
keeping  early  hours,  and  was  safe  in  consequence.  But 
the  people  came  to  him  and  implored  him  to  get  rid  of 
the  dragon  for  them.  So  he  thought  and  thought,  and 


120  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

prayed  and  prayed,  and  at  last  he  saw  how  he  could  do  it, 
He  got  a  lantern  and  he  went  and  hid,  somewhere  in  the 
bushes  above  the  mouth  of  the  dragon's  cave;  and  when 
the  beast  came  out  that  night,  he  went  in  and  made  a  thor- 
ough search  of  the  horrible  place.  He  found  plenty  of 
blood  and  bones  and  evil-smelling  refuse,  but  he  also  found 
out  what  he  wanted  to  know,  which  was  that  there  was  no 
way  out  of  the  cave  except  by  its  mouth. 

"So  he  called  some  of  the  head  men  of  the  village,  and 
told  them  to  drive  a  fat  bullock  up  the  mountain,  and, 
after  the  dragon  had  gone  out  at  night  to  find  food,  they 
led  the  poor  bullock  inside  his  cave,  for  him  to  find  on  his 
return.  That  night  the  dragon  searched  everywhere  and 
could  find  nothing  to  eat.  All  the  time  he  was  away  the 
saint  and  his  helpers  were  busy  with  their  pickaxes,  chip- 
ping round  and  round  a  huge  mass  of  rock  which  over- 
hung the  mouth  of  the  hole.  Just  as  dawn  broke  the  in- 
habitant of  the  cave  came  home,  and  he  was  roaring  and 
howling  with  hunger  and  rage.  Inside  he  found  his  break- 
fast, a  very  large  breakfast,  and  they  knew  that  he  would 
not  come  out  again  for  at  least  three  days.  So  they 
worked  and  worked  away  until  they  loosened  the  huge  crag, 
and  it  fell  and  blocked  up  the  cave  mouth  completely. 
Then  they  called  all  the  village  in  to  help,  and  they  piled 
up  rock  after  rock  all  over  and  around  and  about  the  open- 
ing, until  nobody  could  tell  that  there  ever  had  been  an 
opening  there.  They  also  brought  cartloads  of  soil  and 
scattered  it  over  and  among  the  stones.  The  dragon  was 
very  strong,  but  not  nearly  strong  enough  to  shift  all  those 
tons  and  tons  of  rock  and  earth.  So  he  never  came  out 
any  more." 

"He  was  dead,  I  suppose  ?"  said  Conrad. 

"~No  doubt,"  replied  the  young  man  gravely.  His  capa- 
ble fingers  had  been  at  work  all  the  time  he  was  telling  the 
story  cutting  out  the  hull  of  a  tiny  boat,  which  he  now 


THE    GARDEN    CAVE  121 

set  to  float  upon  the  water  of  the  stream.  This  was  a  new 
thrill  for  Conrad,  who  insisted  upon  having  it  rigged. 
The  boy  had  some  thread  in  his  pocket,  and  Camiola  pro- 
duced some  white  paper.  With  matches  for  masts,  Esler 
contrived  some  rigging,  and  they  all  grew  very  friendly 
over  the  business.  Camiola  thought  the  dragon  was  for- 
gotten, and  would  be  left  to  rest  behind  his  impassable 
barrier  of  rock;  but  before  long,  a  propos  of  nothing, 
Conrad  inquired: 

"Eric,  have  you  ever  seen  the  dragon?" 

"Why,  Master  Conrad,  all  that  I  have  just  told  you 
happened  five  hundred  years  ago !" 

"Then  you  think  the  dragon  really  was  dead?" 

"There  cannot  be  a  doubt  of  it." 

"And  you  have  never  seen  him  ?" 

"I  have  only  lived  up  here  for  about  seven  months,  lit- 
tle Herr." 

"Oh !    Where  did  you  live  before  that  f " 

"A  long  way  off.  See  this  tiny  whirlpool,  how  it  sucks 
in  the  boat;  she  ought  to  have  a  keel,  I  think — a  bit  of 
lead.  Perhaps  I  could  find  you  a  bit." 

"Oh,  do,  please.  Who  told  you  about  the  dragon  and  all  ?" 

"My  aunt,  Frau  Esler.  She  knows  many  tales.  She 
has  lived  here  all  her  life,  and  her  parents  and  grand- 
parents before  her." 

"Then  you  think  it  is  all  nonsense  to  say  the  dragon  is 
alive  now?" 

"All  nonsense!     Certainly." 

Conrad's  sigh  was  a  compound  of  relief  and  disappoint- 
ment. It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  say  whether  a  child 
most  loves  or  fears  horrors. 

The  following  day  Irmgard's  mother  was  laid  to  rest 
in  the  graveyard  which  lay  below  the  great  old  church 
of  St.  Ildemund. 


128  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

The  service  was  very  beautiful,  and  Camiola  kept  ever 
after  a  vivid  memory  picture  of  the  scene.  It  was  a  bois- 
terous day,  of  brilliant  sun,  warm  wind,  and  a  sky  of 
rolling  fleecy-white  clouds  and  deep,  vivid  blue.  The 
scarlet  cassocks  of  the  acolytes  stood  out  against  the  cy- 
presses behind,  to  which  the  old  town  walls  made  a  grey 
background.  The  incense  drifted  upon  the  brisk  air,  and 
the  pathetic  boy  voices  were  tossed  about  fancifully  by  the 
playful  breeze. 

Camiola,  kneeling  between  Inngard  and  Conrad  in  the 
midst  of  the  little  heart-broken  group  of  children,  felt  as 
though  she  were  one  of  them,  and  as  though  the  glorious 
prayers  and  anthems  were  for  her,  too,  who  had  lost  more 
than  these  orphans. 

The  sorrow  was  drawing  them  all  together  in  a  way  in 
which  even  joy  cannot  do.  It  was  making  Camiola  feel 
that  she  had  a  share  in  their  lives,  and  that  Orenfels  was, 
in  some  subtle  sense,  her  home. 

The  two  children  returned  with  her  to  the  castle  after 
the  service,  as  this  allowed  Irmgard  more  leisure  for  what 
lay  before  her — the  labours  which  seem  the  most  cruel  of 
all:  the  tidying  up  and  putting  away  of  the  possessions 
of  one  who  so  lately  had  all  these  things  in  her  own  capa- 
ble hands. 

Conrad  dried  his  tears  as  they  left  the  city  behind,  and, 
when  they  had  climbed  as  high  as  the  shrine  of  Saint  Ilde- 
mund,  desired  to  be  shown  the  traditional  site  of  the 
mouth  of  the  dragon's  cave. 

Esler,  who  had  attended  the  funeral,  and  was  on  foot, 
lifted  him  from  his  mule,  and  then  Hilda  and  Camiola 
also  desired  to  go.  After  a  short  climb  they  found  them- 
selves facing  a  bit  of  rocky  hill-side,  very  quiet  and  solid- 
looking.  It  was  difficult  to  suppose  that  the  boulders  had 
been  heaped  artificially  to  make  it. 

"If  I  were  the  lord  of  Orenfels,  I  would  have  it  opened 


THE    GARDEN    CAVE  123 

and  find  out  if  the  bones  are  there,"  remarked  Conrad 
after  a  prolonged  silence. 

"So  would  I,  little  Herr,"  replied  Esler,  somewhat  to 
Camiola's  surprise.  "But  the  lord  of  Yndaia  rules  this 
valley  no  more;  nor  will,  until  the  curse  be  lifted." 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  QUEST  OF  MRS.  COOPER 

OH,  Betty,  it  is  nice  to  see  you;  how  charming  you 
look,  and  how  suggestive  of  London!"  cried  Camiola, 
warmly  greeting  her  cousin. 

They  stood  together  upon  the  elementary  platform  of 
the  Ildestadt  station  in  the  valley,  the  visitors  having  just 
emerged  from  the  train.  Xeville  looked  as  though  he 
needed  a  holiday  badly;  while  Arnold  Bassett,  in  his 
tweeds,  was  quite  at  home  abroad,  if  the  expression  may 
be  pardoned,  and  gazed  about  him  with  the  keen  air  of 
one  who  has  seen  much  and  does  not  mean  to  admire  the 
mediocre. 

"Miss  Purdon  has  not  come  down  to  meet  you;  it  is 
such  a  fatigue  for  her,"  went  on  Camiola  eagerly.  ''I 
must  warn  you  that  you  have  still  quite  a  long  journey 
before  you  to  reach  the  eyrie  where  we  are  perched !  I 
hope  you  won't  feel  your  hearts  faint  when  you  first  see 
the  spot  to  which  you  have  to  climb !" 

Erwald  was  in  attendance  with  the  pack-mules  to  carry 
up  the  luggage.  A  subordinate  was  with  him,  who  would 
take  charge  later,  when,  on  the  return  journey,  the  trav- 
ellers should  exchange  the  motor  for  mule-back  in  Ilde- 
stadt. 

The  Thurlows  and  Mr.  Bassett  thought  they  had  never 
seen  Camiola  so  animated.  She  had  a  fine  colour,  and 
seemed  in  the  best  of  health  and  spirits. 

When  the  motor  had  rounded  the  Trollberg,  and  the 
view  of  the  Ildenthal  burst  upon  them,  they  were  really 
almost  as  enthusiastic  as  even  the  hostess  could  desire. 

124 


THE    QUEST    OF    MRS.    COOPER      125 

She  hastened  to  point  out  to  them  the  turrets  of  her  cas- 
tle, which,  seen  against  the  dense  black  background  of  the 
stone  pines,  looked  like  carven  ivory. 

"Are  you  all  hungry  ?"  she  asked.  "I  hope  so.  I  have 
ordered  lunch  at  the  inn  in  Ildestadt,  and  I  have  asked  a 
young  man  to  meet  you.  He  is  very  handsome,  and  he  is 
the  future  owner  of  my  castle — Captain  von  Courland." 

"Hallo,  Camiola!"  said  Bassett  softly,  glancing  at  his 
late  ward  with  raised  eyebrows.  Camiola  did  not  mend 
matters  by  blushing  scarlet.  Betty  and  Bassett  exchanged 
looks.  Xeville,  though  he  heard,  carefully  averted  his 
head  and  seemed  absorbed  in  the  beauties  of  the  road. 
His  heart  had  given  a  great  upward  leap.  If  there  was 
really  somebody  else  in  the  way,  his  people  could  not 
blame  him  much! 

After  a  minute  he  leaned  forward  to  Camiola  and  said 
in  a  low  voice: 

"I  suppose  that  Fraulein  Maldovan  is  feeling  her  moth- 
er's death  very  much." 

"Yes,  deeply.  However,  I  am  delighted  to  say  that  she 
is  coming  to  stay  with  me  at  Orenfels  next  week,  so  I  hope 
to  be  able  to  cheer  her  up.  The  children  have  been  invited 
to  go,  in  charge  of  their  governess,  to  stay  with  their  grand- 
mother, who  lives  somewhere  on  the  Italian  Riviera-  The 
General  is  going  away  for  a  three  months'  tour  with  a 
friend;  his  health  is  very  much  shaken.  The  house  at 
Szass  Lona  is  to  be  shut  up,  and  I  hope  to  have  Irmgard 
staying  here  all  that  time.  Her  little  brother  Conrad  is 
with  me  now — such  a  darling  boy.  The  grandmamma 
does  not  like  boys,  so  he  could  not  go  there,  and  he  is  as 
happy  as  the  day  is  long  at  Orenfels.  Oh,  I  do  hope  I 
shall  be  able  to  make  you  all  comfortable,  but  it  is  a 
queer  old  place!" 

They  were  now  approaching  the  mediaeval  walls  of 
Ildestadt. 


126  ACASTLETOLET 

"It  looks  like  a  fairy-tale  town!"  cried  Betty.  "It 
makes  me  think  of  the  Pied  Piper.  Oh,  can't  you  fancy 
the  children  pouring  out  through  this  gateway,  towards 
the  bridge  over  the  river!" 

"Yes,  exactly!"  cried  Camiola  eagerly,  feeling  more 
drawn  towards  Betty  than  ever  before.  "The  whole  place 
never  seems  quite  real  somehow,  and  the  legends  are  weird. 
I  must  tell  you  some  of  them." 

The  car  drew  up  at  the  Blaue  Vogel,  and  there  stood 
Herr  Neumann,  with  a  beaming  face  of  welcome,  and 
Otho  von  Courland  in  a  distracting  uniform. 

He  came  forward  with  empressement  to  help  out  the 
ladies,  and  Camiola  at  once  presented  him  to  Jher  cousin. 

Betty  Thurlow  was  a  fair  girl,  and  certainly  pretty. 
She  wore  a  pale-blue  frieze  travelling  suit,  with  white 
hat  and  shoes,  and  looked  as  dainty  as  though  she  had 
never  slept  in  a  train  in  her  life.  Otho's  English  had 
made  steady  progress  during  the  last  ten  days,  and  he  was 
able  to  say,  after  a  bow  of  which  Betty  had  never  seen 
the  like: 

"How  do  you  do?  I  hope  you  have  made  a  pleasant 
journey  ?" 

Greatly  relieved,  she  replied  that  she  had,  but  that  the 
last  bit  in  the  motor  was  much  the  most  lovely. 

"How  well  that  you  my  country  admire,"  he  answered, 
greatly  flattered.  "The  Fraulein  France,  she  will  not  go 
anywhere  till  you  are  come.  She  reserve  all  the  expedi- 
tions that  you  may  also  go." 

Full  justice  was  done  by  the  hungry  young  people  to 
the  abundant  lunch  provided  for  them.  Bassett,  good  lin- 
guist and  seasoned  traveller,  soon  gained  the  confidence 
of  Herr  Neumann,  and  praised  his  wine  in  so  discrimi- 
nating a  fashion  that  the  innkeeper's  heart  went  out  to 
him.  The  Transylvanian  wines  are  of  astonishing  ex- 
cellence, and  of  an  exquisite  amber  hue  like  liquid  topaz. 


THE    QUEST    OF    MRS.    COOPER      127 

So  overjoyed  was  the  host  to  find  an  expert  so  appre- 
ciative that  he  insisted  upon  decanting,  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, a  bottle  of  a  very  special  white  wine  from  the 
far-famed  vineyards  of  the  Kokel  Valley,  in  order  that 
everybody  should  drink  the  health  of  the  young  English 
lady  who  was  bringing  trade  and  prosperity  to  the  Ilden- 
thal. 

Camiola  was  somewhat  taken  aback  at  this  proceeding, 
but  more  so  by  the  extreme  significance  of  Herr  Neu- 
mann's words,  and  his  meaning  glances  towards  Otho. 
"Hoch,  Frdulein — Hoch,  Rittmeister  von  Courland!"  he 
cried  jovially,  and  added  a  fervent  hope  that  this  beautiful 
Englanderin  had  come  to  restore  the  lost  luck  of  Orenfels. 

Camiola  hardly  knew  where  to  look,  and  carefully 
avoided  Bassett's  eye.  She  began  to  realise  that  Miss 
Purdon  had  been  wise  when  she  shook  her  head  over  the 
lessons  in  English.  Of  course,  the  thing  was  known  all 
over  Ildestadt.  She  had  been  imprudent,  and  was  vexed. 

Otho,  however,  was  learning  tact  so  fast  that  he  per- 
ceived her  vexation,  and  also  that  Herr  Neumann  must 
be  silenced.  He  said  hastily : 

"The  luck  of  Orenfels  is  already  restored,  by  the  mere 
fact  of  the  Fraulein's  presence  there.  We  welcome  also 
her  illustrious  relatives  from  England!  Hoch,  Frdulein 
Turlow!  Hoch,  Herren!" 

Camiola  was  very  grateful  to  him,  and  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  consoled  herself  by  the  thought  that  only  Mr. 
Bnssett  had  understood  the  landlord's  toast.  She  saw 
him  eyeing  von  Courland  narrowly,  and  was  well  pleased 
that  the  captain  showed  no  signs  of  ill-bred  self-conscious- 
ness. By  his  whole  reception  of  the  situation,  he  rose  in 
her  estimation.  For  the  first  time  she  was  thinking. 

"He  really  is  a  very  attractive  fellow."  And  in  her 
heart  she  was  adding:  "And  he  has  a  very  attractive 
castle !" 


128  ACASTLETOLET 

After  a  good  rest  and  a  comfortable  smoke  for  the  men, 
Erwald  brought  round  the  mules,  and  Betty  was  in  high 
delight  at  their  beauty,  their  fantastic  harness,  and  the 
strong,  forbidding  countenance  of  their  guardian. 

Camiola  was  greatly  cheered  by  her  pleasure.  She  had 
been  afraid  that  Betty  was  a  young  person  for  whom  the 
wilderness  would  have  no  joy. 

The  sight  of  the  deserted  hotel  on  the  way  up  struck 
]Vfr.  Bassett  forcibly,  and  Camiola  thereupon  told  him 
part  of  the  story  of  the  Great  Disappearance. 

"That's  a  most  unlikely  story,"  he  remarked  doubt- 
fully, when  he  had  heard  it. 

"Yes,  isn't  it?  If  it  had  not  been  in  Murray,  I  don't 
think  I  should  have  believed  it,"  she  replied. 

"You  tell  me  that  all  these  people  vanished,  leaving  no 
trace,  and  that  no  search  was  made  ?" 

"Oh,  no,  not  so  bad  as  that!  Continual  search  for  six 
months,  so  I  heard,  and  a  special  inquiry  was  held  also." 

"Well,  then,  it  seems  incredible  that  nothing  was  found 
out." 

She  told  him  something  of  the  local  superstition,  and  he 
was  so  interested  that  the  conversation  lasted  the  whole 
way  up  to  Orenfels. 

He  had  also  much  to  ask  concerning  the  curious  Saxon 
population  of  Ildestadt  Like  most  people,  he  was  wholly 
ignorant  of  social  conditions  in  Transylvania,  and  was 
astonished  at  finding  German  spoken.  Camiola  assured 
him  that,  once  outside  the  town  gates,  the  language  would 
not  carry  him  far. 

The  day  had  been  cloudy  and  uncertain,  but  the  sunset 
was  lovely,  and  Camiola  watched  with  deep  anxiety  to  see 
the  effect  which  her  fortress  would  produce  upon  them. 

She  led  them  through  the  little  door  into  her  courtyard, 
with  a  beating  heart. 

The  doves,  of  which  there  were  quantities  in  and  about 


THE    QUEST    OF    MRS.    COOPER      129 

the  castle,  were  strutting  upon  the  stones,  the  roses  made 
a  glow  of  many-coloured  brilliance  on  the  walls ;  and  Miz- 
pah,  stationed  upon  the  semi-circular  steps,  the  open  door 
behind  her,  showing  a  gleam  of  the  carved  oak  within, 
was  a  picture  of  dignified  welcome. 

There  was  a  chorus  of  praise  as  they  entered.  Forbes, 
who  was  now  installed,  stood  smiling  in  attendance,  and 
was  greeted  heartily  as  they  passed  through  the  hall.  But 
the  outburst  of  admiration  broke  forth  when  they  were 
led  out  upon  the  terrace  behind. 

All  was  now  in  perfect  order,  both  without  and  within. 
Forbes  had  settled  down  wonderfully,  considering  the 
shock  which  his  first  departure  from  his  native  land  had 
been  to  him,  and  the  curious  nature  of  the  arrangements 
with  which  he  had  to  be  content. 

Conrad,  in  white  flannel  shirt  and  trousers,  left  the 
game  of  bowls  which  Esler  was  playing  with  him,  and 
came  running  towards  them. 

"Well,  Camiola,  I  confess  that  I  think  you  were  justi- 
fied. This  may  be  the  other  end  of  Nowhere,"  said  Mr. 
Bassett,  "but  anything  more  magnificent  than  the  prospect 
from  this  terrace  I  never  saw  in  all  my  various  travels." 

This  speech  caused  profound  gratification  to  the  girl. 
Miss  Purdon  also  was  immensely  relieved  that  the  dictum 
of  the  great  man  should  be  favourable.  Conrad,  with  his 
handsome  face  and  curly  head,  made  a  good  impression  at 
once.  His  Anglophobia  notwithstanding,  he  spoke  Eng- 
lish well,  since  their  uncle,  that  Admiral  who  had  sent 
Irmgard  to  Oxford,  held  strongly  that  a  knowledge  of 
English  was  essential  to  all  enlightened  European  peoples. 

It  was  with  high  hopes  of  a  delightful  summer  that  the 
young  hostess,  after  tea  upon  the  terrace,  led  her  guests 
to  the  rooms  assigned  to  them.  It  seemed  that  each  door 
they  passed  admitted  them  to  fresh  beauties.  The  gal- 


130 

lery,  the  drawing-room,  and  the  State  sleeping  apartments 
were  all  declared  to  be  perfect  of  their  kind. 

When  everybody  had  been  disposed  of,  Camiola  rushed 
downstairs  for  half  an  hour's  bowls  with  Conrad  before  it 
was  time  to  dress  for  dinner. 

Esler  and  the  boy  had  finished  their  game,  and  were 
seated  together  upon  the  marble  bench,  Conrad  intently 
watching  something  which  Esler  was  fashioning  for  him 
out  of  wood.  Camiola  stood  for  a  minute  looking  on,  and 
as  she  did  so,  Forbes  came  out  of  the  house  upon  the  ter- 
race, saw  her,  and  came  to  where  she  was  standing. 

"Excuse  me,  miss,  but  I  should  like  a  word  with  you 
about  the  waiting." 

"I'll  come,"  said  Camiola,  moving. 

"No  need  to  walk  a  step,  miss.  The  young  feller  can't 
understand  a  word  of  what  we  say.  It  was  only,  miss, 
that  in  view  of  the  large  number  now  sitting  down  to 
table,  I  thought  you  might  feel  inclined  to  ask  the  young 
feller  to  come  and  help  me  wait,  as  Miss  Marston  says  he 
used  to  do  before  I  got  here." 

"No,  no,  Forbes,"  replied  Camiola,  smiling,  her  eyes 
fixed  upon  the  movements  of  Esler's  deft  fingers.  "I 
can't  ask  any  favours  of  him.  It  is  not  his  place  to  wait 
at  table,  and  it  was  very  kind  of  him  to  do  it  until  you 
came." 

"I  should  have  thought,  miss,"  ventured  Forbes,  with 
the  persistence  of  an  old  servant,  "that  if  you  was  to  make 
it  worth  his  while " 

She  laughed,  as  she  slowly  shook  her  head.  "No, 
Forbes,  it  is  out  of  the  question.  I  offended  him  des- 
perately the  very  first  time  I  saw  him  by  offering  him  a 
tip.  You  know  you  wouldn't  have  been  offended  the  least 
bit  by  any  tip  that  was  offered  you,  would  you  ?" 

"I  hope  I  know  my  place  better,  miss." 

"Very  well,  then.    You  can't  understand  how  ne  feels; 


THE    QUEST    OF    MRS.    COOPER      131 

but  he  was  furious.  He  has  never  forgiven  me,  and  I 
don't  want  to  insult  him  again.  He  has  more  than  enough 
to  do,  keeping  these  lovely  gardens  in  order." 

''Plenty  of  time  to  play  with  the  child,  seemin'ly,"  mut- 
tered Forbes,  not  best  pleased. 

"I  don't  care  whether  there  is  any  waiting  or  not, 
Forbes;  really  I  don't.  We  are  holiday  making,  you 
know.  If  you  like,  you  may  put  the  vegetable  dishes  on 
the  table,  and  let  us  pass  them  round.  But  I  am  not  go- 
ing to  ask  this  man  to  help,  so  please  understand." 

"Pass  round  the  dishes  yourselves !  ISTot  if  I  drops  in 
my  tracks !"  declared  Forbes  in  wrath,  turning  and  shuf- 
fling off  to  the  house  at  a  great  rate. 

Camiola  chuckled  to  herself,  as  she  sat  down  beside  the 
boy  on  the  bench,  and  rubbed  her  cheek  against  his  curls. 
"What  a  lovely  boat  Esler  is  making  you,"  she  said,  re- 
lapsing into  German. 

"Yes,  this  is  really  a  good  one.  It  is  to  float  on  the 
cave-stream,  of  course.  I  am  going  to  send  it  down  from 
the  place  where  the  water  comes  out,  to  the  place  where 
it  goes  in!" 

"Is  it  going  to  be  fine  to-morrow,  Esler  ?"  asked  Cam- 
iola, a  little  anxiously.  The  two  previous  days  had  been 
wet. 

"Almost  certainly,  gracious  one.  The  wind  has  shifted 
to  the  fine  quarter  and  the  mercury  is  rising." 

"Good !  I  hope  you  will  have  time  to-morrow  to  come 
with  us  to  the  summit.  Captain  von  Courland  is  to  be 
with  us  by  eight  o'clock,  and  I  think  we  ought  to  have 
you  as  well  as  Erwald." 

"I  can  do  that  very  well.  Heinrich  is  well  able  to  do 
weeding  and  watering,  and  I  mowed  the  bowling  green 
this  morning." 

"Thank  you!  That  is  very  satisfactory.  Will  you  give 
the  necessary  order  for  me  ?" 


132  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

"Grewiss,  Gnddigste." 

"Come,  then,  Con!  Only  just  time  for  our  game  be- 
fore I  dress!" 

They  ran  off  together,  while  Esler  rose  from  the  bench 
and  walked  away.  The  dressing-bell  took  them  both  by 
surprise.  They  raced  from  the  spot  whence  they  stood 
to  the  glass  doors,  and  Conrad  won  by  about  a  foot. 

An  hour  later  they  all  came  down  to  dinner. 

They  made  a  nice-looking  party,  the  incongruity  of 
their  society  toilettes  being  almost  atoned  for  by  its  charm. 
As  Camiola  came  down  upon  Mr.  Bassett's  arm,  the  first 
thing  she  saw  was  Esler,  upright  and  stiff  beside  Forbes 
at  the  sideboard.  His  Ildenthaler  costume  looked  so  de- 
lightful, and  was  so  much  admired  by  her  guests,  that  she 
felt  a  quick  impulse  of  gratitude.  But  how  dared  Forbes 
communicate  the  idea  to  him,  when  she  had  expressly 
forbidden  it?  The  hot  colour  rose  in  her  face,  as  she 
flashed  a  glance  at  the  butler,  who  seemed  wholly  impeni- 
tent; and  then  for  a  minute  her  look  met  that  of  young 
Esler,  and  she  experienced  the  extraordinary  sense  of  sur- 
prise— almost  of  fear — which  she  had  felt  when  he  came 
in  through  the  open  door,  carrying  the  canary,  and  found 
her  sitting  upon  the  table  in  company  with  von  Courland. 

It  was  an  extraordinary  look,  an  extraordinary  power 
which  this  peasant  possessed.  It  made  her  think  of 
primeval  things — the  strength  of  the  hills,  the  silence  of 
dawn,  the  terrors  of  magic,  the  mysteries  of  sex. 

Yes,  that  was  it.  As  she  took  her  seat  at  the  head  of 
the  table,  facing  the  place  where  he  stood,  she  knew  that 
her  colour  changed,  and  she  resented  it.  He  stood  to  her 
for  a  new  thing.  He  carried  in  him  the  suggestion  of  a 
power  which  she  had  never  hitherto  felt.  It  was  almost 
a  pity  that  such  a  man  should  mate  with  Rahula,  the 
hay-making  girl,  who  would  be  just  as  content  with  any- 
bodv  else.  Since  the  first  dav  when  she  had  disturbed  the 


THE    QUEST    OF    MRS.    COOPER      133 

haymakers  at  their  work,  Camiola  had  made  friends  with 
the  inhabitants  of  some  of  the  chalets  near,  though  their 
language  made  intercourse  most  difficult.  Rahula  often 
canie  to  the  kkchen  of  the  Castle  with  milk,  butter,  eggs 
and  other  produce.  ...  It  was  perhaps  better  for  young 
Esler  that  he  should  marry  some  one  quite  simple,  not 
capable  of  being  upset  by  his  extraordinary  moods.  Yet 
she  felt  it  an  injustice  that  the  mountain  man  should  not 
be  provided  by  nature  with  a  mountain  woman  to  under- 
stand him. 

She  was  so  plunged  in  these  thoughts  that  the  beginnings 
of  conversation  were  unheeded  by  her.  When  she  began 
to  attend,  Neville  was  saying: 

"By  the  way,  I  suppose  there  is  a  solicitor  of  sorts  in 
Ildestadt  2" 

"I  imagine  there  must  be,"  replied  Miss  Purdon.  "The 
national  equivalent  for  a  lawyer  must  be  essential ;  people 
want  to  make  wills  and  so  on." 

"I  want  to  combine  a  bit  of  business  with  my  pleasure 
here,"  went  on  Seville.  "A  client  of  ours  is  in  search  of 
a  runaway  wife,  and  he  is  pretty  certain  that  she  caine  to 
Transylvania." 

"But  how  unlikely!  Why  should  she  go  to  such  a 
place — where  strangers  are  so  scarce  that  she  could  be 
easily  traced  ?" 

"He  has  his  reasons  for  the  supposition,"  rejoined  her 
cousin. 

"Is  it  an  interesting  case?"  pursued  Camiola. 

"My  client  is  anything  but  an  interesting  person,"  re- 
plied Neville,  with  a  laugh.  "What  you  might  describe 
as  a  curmudgeon — surly,  ill-conditioned  brute,  named 
Cooper.  Any  wife  would  have  run  from  him,  if  she  had 
the  power  of  locomotion,  I  should  think.  His  wife  is 
partly  a  native  of  this  country,  I  should  tell  you." 

"That  makes  her  less  easy  to  trace,"  opined  the  K.C. 


134  ACASTLETOLET 

"She  will  change  her  name  and  be  swallowed  up  among  her 
fellow  countrymen.  I  suppose  she  did  not  run  alone  ?" 

"As  to  that,  I  have  no  precise  information.  He  does 
not  seem  to  want  a  divorce.  She  is  a  handsome  woman, 
judging  hy  her  photograph." 

"In  any  case,  she  would  not  come  to  a  remote  place  like 
this,"  remarked  Miss  Purdon.  "In  Ildestadt  everybody 
knows  his  neighbour's  business,  and  a  stranger  is  marked 
down  instantly." 

"Perhaps,"  suggested  Camiola  suddenly,  "she  was  one 
of  the  party  that  was  eaten  by  the  Black  Dragon." 

"She  didn't  disappear  as  long  ago  as  that,"  replied 
jSTeville,  amid  laughter.  "Xo,"  he  added,  more  gravely, 
"my  chief  hope  of  tracing  her  is  that  she  almost  certainly 
has  no  money.  It  would  be  to  nobody's  interest  to  keep 
her  secret,  and  old  Cooper  would  make  it  to  somebody's 
interest  to  give  her  away."  There  was  a  slight  clatter  of 
plates  at  the  sideboard,  and  Esler  stooped  with  a  red  face, 
to  pick  up  the  broken  halves  of  a  vegetable  dish-cover. 

He  was  usually  so  deft  and  silent,  that  Camiola  looked 
up  in  surprise  and  saw  him  scarlet  with  confusion  and 
annoyance.  She  pitied  him,  and  sympathised  with  his 
mortification,  but  it  was  not  much  noticed,  for  her  intro- 
duction of  the  Black  Dragon  into  the  conversation  had 
fastened  the  attention  of  everybody  upon  that  fascinating 
bogey.  Camiola  gave  all  the  details  with  which  Captain 
von  Courland  had  supplied  her,  and  added  that,  as  he 
was  to  join  the  party  next  day,  he  would  show  them  the 
various  points  of  interest. 

Esler  handing  peas  at  the  moment,  she  addressed  him, 
with  marked  kindness  to  atone  for  his  slight  mishap : 

"We  should  not  have  time,  should  we,  to  go  to  the  Gaura 
Draculuj  to-morrow  as  well  as  to  the  summit  ?"  she  asked. 

"You  would  do  better  to  leave  that  for  another  day, 
Gnadigste,"  was  the  deferential  reply. 


CHAPTER   XIH 
CONRAD'S  EXPLOIT 

EVEEYBODY  went  to  bed  early  that  night,  and  declared 
themselves  ready  for  anything  next  morning. 

Bassett,  however,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  summit 
should  not  be  attempted  that  day.  It  was  a  hard  four 
hours'  climb  for  seasoned  mountaineers,  and  the  mules 
were  of  no  service  after  the  first  hour.  If  they  went,  most 
certainly  Miss  Purdon,  and  very  probably  Betty,  would 
have  to  turn  back,  which  would  spoil  the  day.  They 
therefore  decided  to  go  to  the  Trollzahner  Falls  instead,  a 
route,  so  Erwald  informed  them,  of  more  magnificent 
beauty,  and  only  half  the  distance. 

For  an  hour  along  this  path  the  mules  could  go,  for  it 
was  here  that  the  mineral  springs,  which  were  to  have 
supplied  the  Kurliaus,  had  been  tapped,  and  the  scheme 
for  carrying  the  water  in  pipes  down  to  the  hotel  had 
actually  been  begun.  The  difficulty  was  that  the  hot 
spring,  the  most  important  of  all,  lost  its  heat  in  being 
carried  so  far,  and  had  to  be  reheated,  a  process  in  which 
it  parted  with  some  of  its  medicinal  properties — or  so  the 
doctors  said. 

Nobody  but  Miss  Purdon,  however,  availed  themselves 
of  the  offer  of  a  mount.  The  suggestion  of  a  pack-mule  for 
the  provisions  was  also  scouted.  The  men,  including  Esler 
and  Erwald,  carried  Ruck-sacks,  and  were  well  able  to- 
take  all  the  food  required,  including  to  every  man  a  half- 
bottle  of  the  topaz-coloured  vin  du  pays,  which  made  a 
delicious  drink  mingled  with  mountain  water. 

135 


136  ACASTLETOLET 

The  Captain  arrived  in  good  time  for  breakfast  a 
1'anglaise.  He  was  somewhat  wonderfully  arrayed,  ac- 
cording to  English  ideas,  in  a  green  hunting  suit,  and  a 
hat  with  a  feather,  like  a  Tyrolese  peasant.  However,  his 
good  looks  and  his  style  carried  off  the  dress,  and  Neville 
thought,  rather  touchily,  that  the  girls  seemed  to  admire 
it  more  than  the  Harris  tweed  worn  by  their  own  men, 
which  had  no  charm  of  novelty. 

Neville  was  a  bit  out  of  it  that  day,  since  both  Betty 
and  Camiola  seemed  to  be  attracted  by  the  Captain,  and 
Miss  Purdon  and  the  K.C.  forgathered  persistently.  He 
longed  for  the  arrival  of  Irmgard,  and  made  use  of  the 
time  beforehand  to  court  the  favour  of  her  young  brother. 
Conrad  accepted  his  overtures  very  frankly.  The  good 
English  spoken  by  the  boy  made  it  easy  for  Neville  to 
talk  to  him.  The  gift,  later  on,  of  an  electric  torch  from 
Neville's  pocket  "for  his  very  own,"  cemented  the  friend- 
ship with  firmness. 

Camiola  took  an  early  opportunity,  after  the  start,  to 
say  to  young  Esler: 

"I  hope  you  do  not  think  that  I  expect  you  to  help  with 
the  waiting  at  table.  I  do  not  know  how  you  came  to  do 
it  last  night,  but  whoever  asked  you  did  so  against  my 
express  orders." 

He  looked  faintly  surprised.  "Nobody  asked  me,  gra- 
cious one.  I  thought  it  would  help  your  Mr.  Forbes,  so 
I  offered.  He  seemed  pleased." 

"No  doubt.  But  it  gives  you  too  much  to  do." 

"There  is  a  large  part  of  the  year  during  which  I  have 
nothing  to  do,"  he  replied  gravely.  "If  my  health  should 
break  down  under  the  strain,  I  can  rest  then." 

She  looked  quickly  at  him,  wondering  a  little  at  the 
irony  in  his  words.  Surely  never  did  anybody  less  look 
like  one  who  is  likely  to  break  down.  Health  itself 
seemed  to  have  lent  the  golden  brown  that  tanned  his  fair 


CONRAD'S    EXPLOIT  137 

skin.  He  moved  with  every  muscle  aplay  under  the  sur- 
face of  a  body  which  had  no  ounce  of  superfluous  fat. 
He  was  so  well-proportioned  and  compactly  built  that  he 
never  struck  the  eye  as  being  a  tall  man,  though  Camiola 
noted  with  surprise,  as  he  walked  beside  Seville  Thurlow, 
that  he  was  but  a  couple  of  inches  short  of  the  English- 
man's six  feet. 

He  puzzled  her.  His  aunt,  Frau  Esler,  had  married  a 
Saxon,  and  Eric's  colouring  suggested  a  mixed  parentage ; 
yet  the  young  man  had  the  Roman  profile — like  that  of 
an  emperor  on  a  coin — which  is  typical  of  the  Roumanian 
peasantry. 

She  had  but  little  time,  however,  in  which  to  study  her 
servants'  moods  or  appearance.  Von  Courland  claimed 
her,  and  when  after  a  while  he  turned  to  Betty,  Neville 
was  quite  ready  to  take  his  place  at  her  side. 

The  Falls  were  greatly  admired  by  all,  even  the  blase 
Arnold  Bassett.  They  were  not  of  any  very  great  height, 
but  they  were  sheer,  and  the  volume  of  water  which  de- 
scended was  great  enough  to  make  a  thunder  which  struck 
with  awe  upon  the  heart.  "The  strength  of  the  hills,"  was 
the  thought  in  Camiola's  heart,  as  she  watched  that  mighty 
descent. 

No  special  incident  marked  a  delightful  day,  until  even- 
ing, when  Conrad  succeeded  in  creating  a  pretty  sensation 
by  getting  lost. 

They  had  stopped,  upon  their  return,  to  have  tea  at 
the  wooden  pavilion  built  and  abandoned  by  poor  old 
Herr  Hoffman,  to  which,  in  the  early  summer  mornings 
of  one  bygone  year,  the  water-drinkers  had  repaired  on 
mule  back,  to  obtain  their  water  hot  and  freeh  from  the 
source. 

The  roof  of  the  little  place  was  still  weather-proof,  and 
there  were  iron  tables  and  chairs,  which  offered  so  great 
a  lure  to  Miss  Purdon  that  the  party  yielded  to  her  en- 


138  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

treaties,  and  allowed  her  to  have  tea  there  in  comfort. 
Erwald,  already  accustomed  to  the  tyranny  of  tea  in  the 
English  mind,  had  brought  the  paraphernalia  of  spirit 
kettles  and  lamps,  in  whose  use  Marston  had  thoroughly 
instructed  him. 

Every  one,  of  course,  had  to  taste  the  mineral-impreg- 
nated water,  and  every  one  voted  it  nauseous,  though  Mr. 
Bassett  said  it  was  nothing  to  Harrogate  water. 

After  tea,  Conrad  ran  off  to  follow  the  course  of  the 
pipes  as  far  as  they  had  been  laid.  The  party  was  in  the 
midst  of  an  interesting  discussion  of  future  plans.  They 
were  armed  with  the  best  ordnance  survey,  large  scale 
maps,  and  they  were,  under  the  generalship  of  Arnold 
Bassett,  deciding  upon  their  next  expedition,  reference 
being  continually  made  to  the  two  practised  mountaineers, 
Esler  and  Erwald. 

Xobody  noticed  the  slipping  away  of  the  boy.  It  was 
not  until  the  men  had  finished  their  cigarettes,  and  had 
indulged,  under  Betty's  leadership,  in  a  thrilling  game  of 
chucking  pebbles,  to  hit  a  little  stone  set  up  on  a  large 
boulder,  that  the  signal  to  move  was  given. 

Then,  Conrad  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 

They  tried  shouting  first.  All  the  men  in  succession 
exercised  the  power  of  their  lungs,  making  the  noise  re- 
verberate among  the  rocks.  No  answering  cry  or  call 
came  to  their  strained  ears. 

Esler  then  ran  off  down  the  path  as  far  as  the  bend,  to 
see  if  he  could  descry  the  boy  from  afar. 

They  followed  his  swiftly  moving  figure  with  their  eyes 
until  it  disappeared,  and  Bassett,  holding  his  extinct  cigar 
between  his  fingers,  remarked  musingly :  "How  well  that 
chap  runs!" 

"I  was  just  thinking,"  remarked  Seville,  "that  he  runs 
like  an  English  public  schoolboy.  Did  you  notice  the 
action?" 


CONRAD'S    EXPLOIT  139 

"Shows  how  right  our  system  of  training  is,  I  suppose 
— how  near  to  nature.  This  chap,  who  has  no  training  at 

all " 

"Oh,  you  must  be  wrong  there.  He  has  had  his  mili- 
tary training,  no  doubt." 

"Ah,  no  doubt.    Yes,  you  are  right,  I  should  think." 

Esler  reappeared,  shaking  his  head.  n 

"He's  found  nothing,"  commented  Bassett.  "Come  on* 
Thurlow,  we  will  go  back,  up  the  road,  and  see  if  we  can; 
spot  the  youngster's  trail." 

They  moved  off  together,  leaving  Camiola  standing 
tense  until  Esler  rejoined  her.  He  spoke  at  once.  "I 
think  I  know  where  he  must  have  gone,"  he  said.  ^ 

"I  will  come  with  you,"  she  replied  hastily.  Together 
they  returned  down  the  path  a  little  way,  then  struck  off 
sharply  to  the  right,  downhill,  along  a  scarcely  perceptible 
track,  among  the  trees. 

"I  think  I  know  where  he  has  made  for.  I  can  find 
him.  There  is  no  need,  Eraulein,  for  you  to  come,  it  is 
a  rough  road,"  he  urged. 

h  "Oh!"  cried  she  impatiently,  "you  ought  to  know  by 
now  that  I  don't  mind  rough  road,  all  I  want  is  to  find  the 
boy.  I  would  not  have  any  harm  come  to  him  for  worlds." 

"I  know  it,  Gwdigste"  he  replied  meekly,  turning  to 
help  her  down  a  steep  bit. 

Soon  they  were  deep  in  the  heart  of  the  wood,  far  from 
everybody.  The  way  here  was  wide  enough  to  admit  of 
their  walking  side  by  side,  though  Esler  kept  trying  to 
avoid  this.  "I  am  almost  certain,"  he  explained,  "that  he 
has  found  the  quarry  where  they  began  to  cut  the  baths. 
They  broke  open  a  cave  there,  which  is  still  accessible; 
.  .  .  and  this  afternoon  the  English  Herr  gave  Conrad  a 
torch — he  has  most  likely  gone  in,  and  it  winds " 

"Then,  for  mercy's  sake,  be  quick !"  cried  the  girl  on  a 
sudden  note  of  alarm ;  and  as  they  ran  on  she  panted  out, 


140  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

'%Oh,  Esler,  tell  me  the  truth.  There  is  nothing  to  hurt 
him,  is  there?  There  is  not,  really,  on  this  mountain 
side  any  evil  creature  with  power  to  do  harm  ?" 

He  turned  then,  and  looked  her  full  in  the  eyes,  with  the 
passionate  intensity  she  was  learning  to  dread.  "I  wish 
I  could  tell  you  for  certain  that  there  is  not,"  he  replied, 
"but  before  God  I  am  not  sure." 

She  gave  a  little  cry  of  horror,  and  quickened  her  pace. 
"Don't  let  us  waste  a  minute." 

They  ran  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  through  the 
woods,  and  when  her  breath  failed  she  grasped  the  young 
man's  arm. 

"We  are  just  there,"  he  said  presently,  "and  I  am  al- 
most certain  we  are  right.  I  have  noticed  several  broken 
twigs  among  the  juniper." 

"What  a  long  way  for  him  to  run — bad  boy,"  panted 
Camiola.  "Oh,  I  am  so  frightened.  Do  tell  me  what 
makes  you  think " 

"Ah!"  he  cried.  "I  ought  not  to  be  such  a  fool  as  to 
alarm  you.  Ko  harm  can  come  to  him  here,  I  am  fairly 
sure.  Only  you  asked  me  the  direct  question,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  tell  you  the  naked  truth." 

"What  makes  you  suppose "  she  questioned  breath- 
lessly. 

"Poor  old  Hoffman  saw  it,"  he  murmured,  slackening 
speed  for  a  few  steps  that  she  might  get  her  breath.  "He 
is  mad,  yes,  and,  of  course,  they  say  he  was  mad  when  he 
thought  he  saw  it.  But  I  cannot  help  wondering  whether 
it  was  the  sight  of  it  which  sent  him  mad." 

"Where  did  he  see  it  ?"  she  gasped,  almost  inaudibly. 

"In  the  Gaura  Draculuj,"  he  answered  in  the  same 
tone. 

As  he  spoke,  and  while  her  brain  hummed  with  the 
shock  of  his  words,  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  trees,  and 
the  edge  of  the  land,  too.  They  found  themselves  looking 


CONRAD'S    EXPLOIT  141 

down  upon  a  deep  pit,  the  bottom  of  which  was  full  of 
boulders,  over  whose  sides  the  creepers  were  already  grow- 
ing. 

To  their  left  was  the  dark  hole,  showing  where  the  men 
had  knocked  through  into  one  of  the  countless  natural  cavi- 
ties of  the  district,  and  had  therefore  been  obliged  to 
abandon  their  work. 

Upon  a  bit  of  bare  rock  lay  Conrad's  alpenstock. 

"We  are  right,"  cried  Esler,  pointing  to  it.  "There, 
do  you  see?  Don't  trouble  to  come  down,  I  will  go  and 
shout  to  him." 

"Oh,  let  me  come  down,"  she  pleaded.  "I  can't  stay  up 
here.  I  can  get  down  quite  easily;  don't  wait  for  me,  go 
on  as  fast  as  you  can  and  call  to  him." 

She  clambered  down  with  amazing  celerity,  for  she  was 
growing  used  to  the  mountain  life,  and  took  to  it  well. 
Esler  obeyed  her  direction,  descended  himself  in  a  series 
of  running  leaps,  and  reached  the  bottom. 

He  went  into  the  cave  and  shouted.  His  voice  rever- 
berated, echoed,  then  grew  muffled.  Camiola  was  left 
outside  alone. 

There  descended  upon  her  a  stillness  which  seemed  un- 
natural. 

Birds  had  ceased  to  sing,  for  evening  was  falling. 
There  was  no  breeze  in  the  hollow,  the  bushes  hung  mo- 
tionless, the  grass  was  unbent  by  even  the  merest  zephyr. 
The  sound  of  running  water,  to  which  her  ear  had  grown 
so  accustomed,  was  silent.  !No  voice  from  the  rest  of  the 
party  penetrated  to  break  the  hush. 

It  soothed  her  at  first.  Then  she  began  to  be  apprehen- 
sive. Suppose  that  something — the  vague  something 
which  she  dare  not  name — had  been  lying  in  wait  in  that 
cave,  had  killed  Conrad,  and  was  now  attacking  Esler  ? 

How  long  ought  she  to  wait  here  alone?     What  could 


142  ACASTLETOLET 

be  done  in  the  way  of  rescue  should  the  two  not  presently 
emerge  ? 

Was  this  to  be  a  second  disappearance?  Were  these 
two  creatures,  in  the  very  pride  of  youth  and  manhood — 
sound,  vigorous,  with  life  stretching  before  them — to  be 
cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living,  and  no  man  henceforth 
to  know  what  had  become  of  them  ? 

The  creeping  horror  grew  with  the  silent  minutes.  It 
seemed  to  her  as  if  she  must  cry  out,  or  run,  or  enter  the 
cavern  herself,  anything  rather  tlran  sit  there  helpless  and 
solitary,  with  terror  in  her  heart. 

She  thought  of  Conrad  and  his  pretty  ways,  of  the  glis- 
ten of  his  curls,  and  his  stumpy,  boyish  fingers  manipu- 
lating bits  of  wood,  of  the  curve  of  his  eyelashes  on  his 
fresh  cheek,  as  he  stooped  intent  over  some  bit  of  work. 
Then  she  thought  of  Esler — of  his  swift,  quiet  helpful- 
ness, his  reticence,  his  stark  pride,  his  curious  fascination. 
In  a  moment  of  angry  humiliation  she  realised  that  she 
was  thinking  more  of  this  peasant  than  she  had  ever 
thought  of  any  young  man  in  her  life. 

And  at  the  moment  he  might  be  dead,  or  slowly  bearing 
to  the  cave's  mouth  the  body  of  a  dead  boy. 

She  hid  her  face  in  her  hands  and  shivered.  Time  raced 
madly  on.  How  much  longer  could  she  bear  this  strain  ? 
The  shadow  of  a  big  boulder  in  front  of  her  had  travelled 
perceptibly  forward,  across  the  moss.  At  last  a  sound 
came  to  her  ears — a  sound  from  far  down  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth.  It  was  at  first  the  merest  murmur,  then  she 
thought  she  could  translate  it  into  a  moaning — not  per- 
sistent, but  intermittent — a  moaning  noise  from  within 
there,  from  the  terrible  dark  places  of  the  earth  where, 
perhaps,  some  antediluvian  monster  still  lurked,  foul  and 
obscene  in  the  darkness  and  the  fetid  airlessness  of  the 
dim  den. 

She  rose  to  her  feet,  and  her  eyes  dilated.    Slowly  she 


CONRAD'S    EXPLOIT  143 

moved  nearer  and  nearer,  until  she  stood  close  to  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  whence  something  would  presently  issue 
into  the  light  of  day.  The  noise  grew,  ceased,  came  on 
again  more  loudly,  it  broke  into  something  like  a  shout. 
In  another  minute  she  distinctly  heard  a  voice. 

"Camiola  frightened — what  rot!"  cried  Conrad  in  Ger- 
man. Then,  in  a  moment,  he  stood  before  her — such  a 
sight.  Daubed  from  head  to  foot  with  whitish  clay,  clothes 
ruined,  but  face  beaming  with  smiles. 

"Hallo,  Camiola!"  he  .cried  blithely,  "what  did  you  sup- 
pose could  happen  to  me  ?  Here's  old  Esler  been  talking 
to  me  like  a  Dutch  uncle;  says  I'm  a  heartless  imp  to 
frighten  you  so.  I  say,  old  girl,  were  you  really  so 
frightened  ?  Oh,  you  musn't,  you  know,  you  really 
mustn't  think  I'm  dead  every  time  I  go  out  of  sight." 

For  a  long  moment  she  could  not  speak ;  she  could  only 
hold  the  naughty  boy  tight.  Her  breast  heaved,  her  throat 
swelled  with  a  feeling  she  could  not  master. 

Esler,  after  one  glance,  turned  away,  and  stood  side- 
ways, with  a  set  jaw,  gazing  at  the  surrounding  land- 
scape. 

"Oh,  Con,  you  musn't !"  she  stammered  out  at  length. 
"These  caves  are  so  dangerous.  Suppose  you  fell  down  a 
cleft  ?  Please,  please  remember  that  I  am  responsible  for 
you  to  your  father.  I  am  in  charge  of  you.  Promise  me 
you  won't  do  it  again." 

"Of  course  I  won't,  if  you  really  feel  like  this  about  it," 
answered  the  boy  wonderingly,  "but  do  try  to  get  over  it, 
'Miola.  I'm  all  right,  you  know.  Mr.  T'urlow  gave  me 
a  torch,  and  I  could  see  where  I  was  going.  I  really  am 
not  a  kid,  you  know." 

On  that  she  laughed,  a  little  gasping  laugh,  and  recov- 
ered herself. 

"Come,  we  must  go  quickly  back,  they  will  all  be  die- 


144  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

tracted,"  said  she,  and  they  moved  to  the  side  of  the 
hollow. 

It  was  not  so  easy  to  get  up  as  it  had  been  to  slide  down, 
and  she  was  glad  of  Esler's  help.  Both  he  and  she  were 
silent  as  they  made  the  best  of  their  way  back.  Conrad, 
however,  supplied  the  conversation  without  effort. 

"It  simply  goes  in  ever  so  far — for  miles  and  miles," 
he  said,  "and  it's  only  one  tunnel,  you  couldn't  lose  your 
way  until  you  come  to  the  queer  cavern,  a  long  way  on. 
You  have  to  go  down  on  your  knees  and  crawl,  and  then 
you  come  out  in  a  huge  place,  and  there  were  most  curious 
things  there,  I  thought  at  first  that  they  were  bones." 

"Bones,  Conrad!" 

"Yes,  I  felt  almost  certain  that  they  were.  I  didn't 
like  it  at  all,  and  I  was  quite  glad  to  hear  Esler  coming 
after  me.  There  is  a  big  pond,  you  know,  quite  a  lot  of 
water,  awfully  black  and  cold  and  silent,  and  on  the  edge 
of  the  water  there  were  these  white  things.  I  picked  one 
up,  and  it  was  just  like  a  bone.  I  thought  a  sheep  had 
got  drowned,  but  I  am  not  sure  that  a  sheep  could  have 
wriggled  in  where  I  crept  through.  I  suppose  it  could, 
though,  if  Esler  got  in.  He  says  they  are  not  bones,  after 
all,  they  are  stalactites — little  ones.  He  showed  me  one 
or  two  up  on  the  roof ;  one  could  just  see  when  the  torches 
flashed  on  them.  He  thinks  there  must  have  been  a  flood, 
and  some  bit  of  rock  gave  way  and  let  the  water  down,  and 
it  washed  some  stalactites  off  the  roof.  I  wanted  to  bring 
away  some,  but  he  wouldn't  let  me  wait,  he  was  in  such  a 
plaguey  hurry  to  let  you  know  I  was  safa" 

"He  was  quite  right,"  said  Camiola.  "I  hope  you  un- 
derstand, Conrad,  that  for  the  future,  whenever  we  are 
out  on  the  mountains  you  are  not  to  go  out  of  call." 

"Yes.  I  will  remember,"  he  replied,  with  a  sudden 
touch  of  remorse.  "Oh,  'Miola,  please  believe  that  I  really 
did  not  know  you  would  be  frightened." 


CONRAD'S    EXPLOIT  145 

"I  do  believe  it,  darling,"  she  replied,  with  a  hug. 

The  young  man  received  a  more  severe  reproof  from 
Arnold  Bassett  when  they  rejoined  the  others.  That  gen- 
tleman had  been  compelled  to  take  a  good  deal  more  exer- 
cise than  he  cared  for  immediately  after  tea.  The  party 
was  delayed,  dinner  would  be  spoilt,  and  he  was  inclined 
to  look  upon  the  boy  as  a  nuisance.  Camiola  allowed  him 
to  lecture,  thinking  it  good  for  Con  to  receive  a  sharp  les- 
son in  order  that  the  mano3uvre  might  not  be  repeated. 
Her  heart  was  still  beating  uncomfortably  fast,  and  she 
shrank  from  the  memory  of  her  thoughts  during  her  soli- 
tary waiting  outside  the  cavern. 

She  sat  down  upon  a  stone  while  the  others  performed 
those  evolutions  which  Bassett  was  accustomed  to  describe 
as  "getting  under  way." 

Esler  brought  her  some  milk  to  drink,  and  she  was  sur- 
prised to  note  how  grateful  she  was  for  it.  As  he  stood 
beside  her,  waiting  to  take  her  empty  cup,  she  asked  a  sud- 
den question. 

"Were  they  bones  ?" 

"Yes,  they  were,"  he  replied  in  a  tone  which,  although 
quiet,  seemed  to  her  to  hold  some  hidden  excitement.  "I 
thought  it  better  to  persuade  him  that  they  were  not." 
After  a  moment's  hesitation  he  added :  "Might  I  ask  you 
not  to  say  anything  to  anybody?  Something  has  hap- 
pened inside  that  cave — I  mean,  some  rock  wall  has  given, 
and  has  let  down  water,  and — and  maybe,  other  things, 
too.  I  would  rather  not  have  it  talked  about  until  I  am 
sure." 

She  looked  up  at  him  with  an  eagerness  of  interest 
which  flashed  in  her  beautiful  eyes. 

"Tell  me,"  she  asked  hurriedly,  "could  it  be  possible 
that  those  bones  were — human?" 

He  replied  in  the  same  lowered  tones  which  she  had 
used.  "I  think  there  is  no  doubt  of  it — no  doubt  at  all." 


ACASTLETOLET 

"Oh !"  It  was  a  very  excited  "Oh !"  and  after  a  hesi- 
tation she  added : 

"Is  it  possible — could  they — have  been  washed  down 
from — from  the  Gaura  Draculuj  ?" 

"It  is  not  impossible." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

TOKENS    IN   THE    SAND 

THE  following  day  was  unsettled  in  respect  of  weather, 
and  as  everybody  was  tired  after  their  journey,  nothing 
particular  was  planned. 

The  Thurlows,  acting  upon  Camiola's  instructions,  had 
brought  out  with  them  from  England  a  complete  set  of 
lawn-tennis. 

The  instalment  of  the  net  upon  the  bowling  green,  and 
the  marking  out  of  the  courts,  kept  all  the  party  busy. 

At  lunch  time  Neville  announced  that  he  meant  to  go 
down  to  Ildestadt  and  back  on  foot,  in  order  to  find  a 
solicitor,  or  the  Transylvanian  equivalent.  He  suggested 
that  if  Camiola  wanted  any  message  taken  to  Szass  Ixma 
Reed  might  accompany  him,  and  they  could  easily  run 
there  and  back  with  the  car. 

This  suited  Camiola  well,  as  there  were  details  to  ar- 
range respecting  Irmgard's  arrival,  which  was  to  be  on 
Monday.  Neville  accordingly  departed,  and,  the  weather 
being  finer,  Betty,  Camiola,  Mr.  Bassett,  and  Conrad 
played  tennis  all  the  afternoon. 

Camiola  was  in  a  restless,  excited  mood.  The  discov- 
ery of  the  previous  evening  interested  her  to  a  degree 
which  surprised  even  herself.  It  showed  her  how  deeply 
the  mystery  which  overhung  the  Ildenthal,  and  a  desire  to 
penetrate  it,  had  influenced  her  in  taking  the  castle.  The 
thought  was  stirring  enough  to  unsettle  her  completely. 
If  they  really  had,  through  the  accident  of  a  boy's  heed- 
lessness,  stumbled  upon  the  key  to  this  enigma,  then  Oren- 

147 


148  ACASTLETOLET 

fels  would  be,  for  a  week  or  two,  in  the  eye  of  all  Europe. 
Their  seclusion  would  be  done  away.  Not  even  the  steep 
road  would  keep  tourists  from  flocking  to  see  the  solution 
of  the  problem,  which  had  agitated  the  press  so  wildly  a 
few  years  back. 

This  was  by  no  means  desirable.  Even  without  Esler' s 
petition,  she  would  have  kept  what  he  disclosed  to  herself. 
Conrad,  of  course,  prattled  of  the  stalactites  upon  the  brink 
of  the  water,  which  had  looked  like  bones ;  but  Esler  tran- 
quilly explained  that  he  was  mistaken,  and  showed  a  few 
bits  of  what  was  most  decidedly  stalactite,  in  support  of 
his  statement. 

If  the  young  peasant's  theory  were  true — if  some  rock 
wall  inside  the  mountain  had  really  given  way  and  allowed 
these  grisly  relics  of  a  bygone  tragedy  to  come  to  light, 
then  what  followed  ? 

Would  it  be  possible  to  ascend,  from  the  cave  where  the 
bones  were  found  to  the  spot  whence  they  had  fallen  ?  It 
seemed  unlikely,  since  the  catastrophe  had  apparently 
taken  place  at  such  an  immense  height  above  the  aban- 
doned quarry.  Something  of  the  kind  suggested  by  Von 
Courland  was  probably  the  case.  Some  footing  had  given 
way,  precipitating  the  poor  wretches  into  gulfs  of  grim 
darkness  and  death.  One  could  but  pray  that  their  end 
had  been  rapid,  and  not  the  result  of  starvation. 

In  the  garden  that  evening  she  came  across  Esler,  water- 
ing cannas,  and  began  to  talk  of  it  at  once. 

"I  can  think  of  nothing  but  those  bones,"  she  said 
urgently. 

Esler  started  when  she  spoke  to  him,  and  looked  up  as 
though  disturbed  in  a  reverie.  His  manner  was  a  little 
distrait,  as  though  he  had  something  on  his  mind. 

"I  am  thinking  of  it,  too,  gracious  one.  I  want  to  go 
and  investigate,  but  I  am  too  busy  at  present  to  allow  my 
mind  to  dwell  upon  the  matter.  It  must  stand  over  for 


TOKENS    IN    THE    SAND  149 

the  time  being.  Fortunately,  nobody  is  likely  to  go  to  the 
place  -where  the  young  Herr  went,  except  ourselves." 

"Oh,  but  Esler,  if  you  knew  how  much  I  care  about  it !" 
she  burst  out.  "I  feel  as  if  I  simply  must  have  my  curi- 
osity gratified.  If  I  could  find  out  what  became  of  those 
people,  I  should  tell  myself  that  I  had  not  lived  in  vain. 
Can't  we  do  something?" 

He  set  down  his  can  and  gazed  at  her  wonderingly, 
wiping  his  hands  upon  a  corner  of  his  gardening  apron. 

"You  really  care  so  much  ?" 

"Intensely.  I  believe  that  a  desire  to  find  out  all  about 
it  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  my  wanting  to  take  the  cas- 
tle. Now,  Esler,  tell  me  the  truth.  Is  there  any  reason 
why  you  do  not  want  me  to  find  out  about  it  ?" 

She  flung  the  question  at  him  abruptly — unexpectedly 
— that  he  might  not  have  time  to  be  prepared  for  it — that 
she  might  surprise  the  truth  from  him.  He  was  looking 
directly  at  her  as  she  challenged  him,  and  the  expression 
in  his  attentive  face  did  not  change. 

"There  is  no  reason,"  he  replied  simply.  Then  his 
mouth  relaxed,  and  he  smiled  shyly. 

"I  will  confess  to  you,"  he  owned,  "that  I  was  much 
afraid  the  Fraulein's  coming  would  put  a  stop  to  my  own 
investigations,  which  I  have  been  carrying  on  for  some 
time.'' 

"Ah !"  she  cried  quickly. 

"If  you  are  really  eager,"  he  went  on  slowly,  watching 
her  face  with  intentness,  "I  will  do  all  I  can." 

She  drew  a  long  breath  and  gazed  around  her,  as  if 
wondering  where  to  begin.  "What  a  pity  there  are  so 
many  people  here,"  she  said,  with  a  half  laugh  and  a 
shrug.  "Whatever  is  done,  I  want  it  to  be  done  secretly. 
I  do  not  want  anybody  to  know  anything  about  it  until  we 
have  really  discovered  something  definite." 

"I  am  quite  of  your  mind,  Fraulein." 


150  ACASTLETOLET 

She  was  struck  with  a  sudden  thought.  "Frau  Esler 
knows?  That  was  why  she  was  so  angry  with  me  for 
coming  ?" 

He  replied  with  eagerness.  "Yes,  Eraulein,  that  was 
it." 

"I  knew  there  was  something,"  she  replied  slowly, 
her  eyes  full  of  speculation.  "I  am  so  glad  to  find  it  was 
only  that." 

He  lowered  his  eyes  and  moved  a  pebble  about  with  his 
foot.  "I  will  do  all  I  can,"  he  said,  with  an  embarrass- 
ment which  puzzled  her.  "Perhaps,  to  begin  with,  you 
would  like  me  to  show  you  something — only  trifles,  but 
something." 

"Yes,  yes,  of  course — anything !"  she  answered  quickly. 

"Xow?" 

"Yes,  yes !    Now,  by  all  means." 

He  picked  up  his  can,  and  led  the  way  down  the  winding 
paths,  to  and  fro,  till  they  reached  the  garden  foot,  where 
was  the  hidden  door  of  his  cave.  "Wait  until  I  make  a 
light,"  said  he,  going  in  and  leaving  her  outside. 

Presently  he  called,  and  she  slipped  under  the  tangle 
of  creepers  and  entered. 

Within,  upon  the  rough  wooden  table,  there  was  a  lan- 
tern, which  burned  with  a  strong,  clear  light. 

Esler  went  to  a  shelf  and  took  down  a  box.  He  set  it 
upon  the  table  near  the  light,  and  unlocked  it  with  a  little 
key  he  took  from  his  pocket. 

Inside  the  box  were  various  very  small  packages  rolled 
in  paper.  He  unfastened  one,  and  laid  upon  her  hand  a 
circular  object  about  the  size  of  a  halfpenny. 

"What  on  earth  is  that  ?"  she  asked. 

"I  take  it  to  be  a  button,  Fraulein.  If  you  hold  it  to 
the  light  you  will  see  that  it  is  pierced."  He  unrolled 
another.  A  bit  of  black  stick  about  three  inches  long 


TOKENS    IN    THE    SAND  151 

was  produced.  "That  is  a  fragment  of  lead  pencil,"  he 
informed  her. 

Another  package  contained  shreds  of  fibrous  stuff,  which 
were  possibly  portions  of  some  kind  of  fabric,  cloth  or 
the  like.  There  was  also  a  bit  of  bent  wire  which  quite 
clearly  had  once  been  a  hairpin ;  and  last  and  most  signifi- 
cant of  all,  the  wire  frame  of  a  pair  of  pince-nez  glasses. 

That  was  all. 

"You  found  these  ?"  she  asked,  gazing  at  them  in  won- 
der. 

"I  found  them  in  that  sand,"  he  replied,  pointing  to 
the  barrow  and  the  sifter  which  she  noticed  on  her  previ- 
ous visit.  "The  sand  that  you  see  there  was  all  collected 
by  me  from  the  floor  of  the  Gaura  Draculuj.  I  found 
the  bit  of  pencil  accidentally  when  I  was  sitting  in  the 
-oiive  one  day  and  pondering.  I  was  stroking  the  sand  as 
I  sat,  and  my  fingers  came  upon  this  little  hard  thing. 
I  examined  it  carefully,  cut  off  a  tiny  bit,  and  found  it 
was  a  pencil.  That  set  me  thinking.  I  collected  sand 
from  round  the  edges  where  it  was  deepest,  and  this  is 
the  result  of  sifting  so  far." 

Camiola  sat  on  the  table,  arms  locked  round  her  knees, 
so  carried  away  that  she  could  think  of  nothing  else. 

"Then,"  she  said,  "this  seems  to  be  evidence  that  they 
had  been  there — that  it  was  from  the  cave  that  they  dis- 
appeared ?" 

"It  looks  like  it.  All  that  is  there  was  certainly  once 
the  property  of  human  beings.  How  it  got  into  the  sand 
is  the  marvel." 

"Well,  but,"  cried  the  girl,  "how  could  they  possibly  all 
fall  down  a  fissure  and  leave  no  trace  behind  ?  They  say 
there  was  not  even  a  footmark!" 

"I  believe  that  to  be  quite  true,  Fraulein.  My  aunt 
herself  can  bear  witness  to  it." 

"Well,  what  can  be  the  explanation?" 


152  ACASTLETOLET 

"At  present  there  only  seems  one — the  one  the  people 
hereabouts  believe — that  there  is  a  monster  who  lives  down 
there  and  that  he  showed  himself.  They  may  have  been 
paralysed  with  terror.  He  was  probably  lurking  in  a 
recess  of  his  den,  so  as  to  take  them  from  the  rear.  If  he 
drove  them  into  the  pit,  his  huge  tail  may  have  swept 
the  sand  smooth  behind  him." 

"Esler,  you  don't  yourself  believe  it  ?"  she  cried,  almost 
imploringly. 

He  hesitated.  "I  did  not  at  first,"  he  replied  slowly. 
"Up  here  in  the  mountains,  however,  one  grows  to  think 
that  there  aro  strange  things " 

He  did  not  finish  his  sentence.  The  look  in  her  eyes 
told  him  that  she  understood.  They  both  remained  silent 
for  some  time,  pondering.  She  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"We  must  not  let  the  others  go  there,"  said  she  in  a 
low  voice. 

"I  am  very  glad  you  think  that,"  he  rejoined,  with 
satisfaction. 

"But  you  must  take  me  there." 

"No!"  he  cried  sharply. 

She  looked  him  in  the  face.  "You  go  there?" 

"I?    That  is  different." 

"Have  you  ever  seen  anything  unusual  there?" 

He  replied  unwillingly:    "Itfo-o." 

"Very  well,  then;  take  me!" 

He  looked  irresolute. 

"You  could  go  in  first  and  see  that  it  was  safe,"  she 
suggested. 

"Would  you  swear  to  do  what  I  told  you  the  moment 
I  told  you  ?  Would  you  promise,  if  I  said  "Run !"  or 
"Stand  still !"  rudely,  as  if  I  were  your  master  instead  of 
your  servant,  to  obey  on  the  instant  ?" 

"Yes,  of  course.  You  would  be  leader  of  the  expedi- 
tion." 


TOKENS    IN    THE    SAND  153 

"Very  well,"  he  said,  after  a  long  indecision. 

"But  how  is  it  to  be  done?"  she  demanded  ruefully. 
"There  are  so  many  of  us  about." 

He  pondered.  "Did  I  hear  that  the  old  Baron  von 
Orenfels  had  invited  the  whole  party  to  lunch  at  the  Round 
Tower  next  week  ?" 

"Yes;  we  have  agreed  to  go." 

"Could  you  have  a  headache  and  stay  behind  ?"  he  sug- 
gested. "They  will  not  want  me  just  to  go  down  to  Ilde- 
stadt.  There  are  plenty  of  men  to  look  after  the  ladies 
and  Erwald  to  stable  the  mules." 

She  hesitated.  "I  could  not  very  well  say  I  was  ill 
and  then  go  out,  conld  I  ?"  she  objected. 

He  coloured  a  little.  "Nobody  need  know  you  had 
gone." 

"How  do  you  mean  ?"  she  cried,  much  intrigued. 

"If  you  tell  Miss  Marston  that  you  are  to  be  left  quiet 
until  you  ring,  she  would  not  disturb  you,  would  she  ?" 

"Of  course  not" 

"Very  well.  You  can  go  out  of  your  room  by  the  secret 
door,  and  down  the  stairs  that  bring  you  out  here  in  this 
cave." 

Camiola  gasped  involuntarily.  He  started  as  if  she 
had  struck  him. 

"Fraulein,  I  ought  not  to  have  proposed  this,"  he  said 
in  a  hurried  murmur;  "I  did  not  reflect.  You  would 
trust  yourself  to  me,  you  would  go  out  with  me  by  a  way 
that  no  one  knows,  you  would  go  to  a  place  of  danger,  and, 
as  it  would  not  be  known  even  that  you  were  out,  they 
would  be  in  doubt  as  to  where  to  search  for  you  should 
we  not  return  at  the  time  we  expect.  It  is  too  much  re- 
sponsibility for  me." 

"There  are  stairs  from  this  cave  going  up  to  the  room 
where  I  sleep?"  she  echoed  incredulously. 

"Yes." 


154  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

"Show  me." 

He  took  up  the  lantern  and  carried  it  before  her  to  the 
dark  recess  of  the  cave.  There  could  be  clearly  seen  the 
foot  of  a  spiral  stair  ascending. 

"Oh,  do  let  us  go  up!"  she  cried. 

"You  could  not  get  into  your  room,  Fraulein.  I  fastened 
the  secret  panel  upon  your  side  before  you  came  here." 

"Oh,  I  am  glad  you  did  that.  But  you  can  tell  me 
how  to  undo  it?" 

"Yes.  But  do  not  use  the  stair,  Fraulein.  Forget  what 
I  said.  I  must  not  let  you  run  risks." 

"But  what  risk  is  there  ?  Surely  very  little !  How 
often  have  you  been  yourself  to  the  Gaura  Draculuj  ?" 

"Oh,  many  times." 

"And  have  you  ever  seen,  on  any  occasion,  any  sign 
that  anybody  else  had  been  there  since  your  last  visit  ?" 

"Only  once." 

"Well— well— tell  me!     What  did  you  find?" 

"It  was  about  three  months  ago,"  he  said  reluctantly. 
"I  had  been  prevented  from  going  because  my  aunt  was 
ill.  She  had  a  sharp  attack  of  bronchitis.  It  must  have 
been  four  or  five  weeks  since  I  had  last  visited  the  place. 
I  found  fresh  sand." 

"Fresh  sand?" 

"Yes.  It  was  more  grey  than  the  sand  in  which  I  had 
been  searching.  I  had  left  it  all  trodden  about  with  my 
footprints,  and  I  had  left  a  wooden  box — the  kind  of  box 
in  which  they  pack  sugar  or  biscuits — which  I  used  to  fill 
with  sand.  That  was  gone.  The  surface  was  swept  quite 
smooth.  I  found  both  the  hairpin  and  the  spectacle  frame, 
also  most  of  the  bits  of  fabric,  in  the  new  grey  sand." 

Her  eyes  were  full  of  wonder,  but  she  answered  lightly : 
"That  was  not  very  alarming,  was  it?" 

"Only  because  it  showed  that  I  was  not  the  only  person 
who  came  there." 


TOKENS    IN    THE    SAND  155 

"Yes.  Oh,  it  is  uncanny !  You  don't  think  that  some- 
body here  in  the  village,  or  down  in  Ildestadt,  does  it  on 
purpose?  Could  it  possibly  be  to  anybody's  advantage  to 
frighten  people  away  f roui  these  parts  ?" 

"I  cannot  see  that  it  could.  Even  if  we  could  suppose 
it.  they  might  surely  use  far  more  effective  means  to 
their  end.  On  the  other  hand,  one  sees  clearly  that  it 
would  be  for  the  good  of  the  whole  district  to  have  the 
mystery  solved." 

"Of  course  it  would.  It  is  very  puzzling.  But  I  feel 
that  I  must  see  the  place.  Before  the  time  that  the  tour- 
ists were  lost  it  was  not  considered  dangerous,  was  it  ?" 

"Xo.  The  guides  used  to  relate  the  legend  of  there 
being  a  dragon  who  lived  down  there.  They  used  to  roll 
big  stones  into  the  fissure,  which  echoed  with  a  peculiar 
noise,  supposed  to  be  like  the  mutterings  of  a  beast  coiled 
up  far  down  below.  It  was  never  supposed  that  he  could 
get  out.  A  few  of  the  very  old  people — people  living  here 
in  Maros — used  to  maintain  that  the  monster  still  lived. 
Xobody  else  believed  it." 

"Well,  I  am  going  to  venture.  If  you  will  not  take 
me,  I  shall  have  to  find  another  guide." 

"Is  it  fair,"  he  asked  hesitatingly,  "to  put  pressure  on 
me  like  that?" 

She  contemplated  him  as  he  stood,  holding  the  lantern 
which  lit  up  his  coarse  shirt,  his  rolled-up  sleeves,  his 
gardening  apron,  and  also  his  steady  eyes  and  the  resolute 
curve  of  his  lips. 

"I  would  trust  you  anywhere,"  she  said  gravely.  "I 
absolve  you  from  all  responsibility.  I  will  leave  a  note 
when  I  slip  out,  to  be  read  if  we  do  not  return.  When 
they  break  into  my  room,  if  such  a  proceeding  should  be 
necessary,  they  shall  fincj  a  message  saying  where  I  have 
gone,  and  that  it  was  I  who  insisted  upon  the  expedition, 
much  against  your  advice." 


156  ACASTLETOLET 

"I  suppose  the  chances  are  a  hundred  to  one  against 
anything  happening,"  he  remarked  meditatively. 

"Anyway,  it  is  an  order,"  she  said  brightly.  "You 
must  take  me." 

He  smiled  a  little  in  response  to  her  brilliant  glance. 
"I  suppose  that  settles  it,"  he  said. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  BARON'S  HINT,  AND  A  DREAM 


ISTeville  Thurlow  was  being  borne  swiftly 
in  the  car  from  Ildestadt  down  the  valley  to  Szass  Lona. 
His  spirits  were  in  a  state  of  more  perturbation  than  for 
years  past.  He  was  thinking  of  the  pure  pale  gold  of 
Irmgard's  hair  and  how  it  nestled  above  the  hidden  tips 
of  her  delicately  modelled  ears. 

When  he  reached  the  somewhat  grim  and  frowning 
walls  which  contained  his  divinity  he  shivered. 

The  barracks  were  nearly  three  miles  farther  down  the 
valley,  where  the  Ildenfluss  was  spanned  by  an  important 
bridge. 

There  was  at  that  time  no  house  in  the  village  capable 
of  accommodating  the  Austrian  General,  therefore  it  had 
been  necessary  to  build  one. 

When,  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,  the  Transylvanian 
people,  unable  to  defend  themselves,  annexed  their  country 
to  the  Dual  Empire,  the  first  step  for  their  protection  was 
to  establish  garrisons  and  send  military  governors. 

The  dwelling  provided  for  the  commanding  officer  was 
stiff,  ugly,  and  inconvenient. 

Mr.  Thurlow  was  shown  into  a  very  gloomy  interior, 
with  a  porcelain  stove,  spiky-looking  chairs,  and  sofas  with 
little  tables  and  bits  of  carpet  in  front  of  them.  There 
were  pictures  on  the  walls  —  reproductions  of  the  Vic- 
torian mid-European  school  —  which  made  one  want  to  shut 
one's  eyes. 

When  Inngard  stole  into  the  room,  it  was  as  if  some 

157 


158  ACASTLETOLET 

fay,  imprisoned  by  mortals,  glided  through  the  incongru- 
ous dwelling.  Her  black  frock  emphasised  her  fairness, 
and  made  her  skin  and  hair  quite  dazzling  to  the  eyes 
of  the  usually  unimpressionable  Englishman. 

At  the  sight  of  him  the  colour  flowed  beneath  the  flaw- 
less skin,  in  a  fashion  which  almost  bereft  him  of  his 
self-control.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  she  was  pleased 
to  see  him.  He  sat  down  upon  one  of  the  sofas  beside  her, 
at  her  invitation,  given  with  a  pretty  assumption  of  the 
duties  of  hostess,  and  put  constraint  upon  himself  to  talk 
naturally. 

She  was  delighted  at  his  admiration  of  the  Ildenthal, 
and  listened  eagerly  to  his  description  of  their  first  expe- 
dition. She  herself  had  been  to  the  Trollzahner  Falls,  so 
would  not  miss  anything  by  not  having  been  a  member  of 
that  excursion.  She  was  counting  the  minutes  until  she 
was  free  to  join  them.  The  children  and  governess  had 
already  set  out,  and  her  father  was  leaving  on  the  evening 
of  Sunday,  this  being  Saturday.  She  would  be  quite 
ready  to  go  up  to  Orenfels  on  Monday,  at  any  time  that  it 
suited  Camiola  to  fetch  her.  The  arrangements  were 
made,  to  their  mutual  satisfaction,  and  then  coffee  was 
brought  in.  Seville  thought  he  had  never  passed  through 
a  more  delightful  experience  than  this,  of  drinking  coffee 
with  this  pale,  sad  girl  in  the  dreamy  void  of  the  big, 
hideous  room.  The  General  joined  them  after  a  while. 
His  English  was  not  so  good  as  his  daughter's,  but  he 
managed  to  understand  most  of  what  was  said,  and  was 
quite  courteous,  though  thinking  apparently  of  other 
things.  He  was  a  fair  man,  like  his  daughter  in  type; 
and  Neville,  regarding  him  in  the  light  of  a  possible 
father-in-law,  thought  he  would  do  very  well. 

When  they  had  finished  coffee,  the  host,  rousing  from  a 
fit  of  brooding,  somewhat  pointedly  invited  the  young  man 
to  stroll  round  the  grounds  with  him.  They  stepped  out 


T  H  E    B  A  R  O  X  '  S    HINT  159 

of  the  French  window  and  walked  off,  Irmgard  remaining 
behind,  as  Neville  could  not  help  thinking  upon  a  hint 
from  her  father. 

After  ten  minutes'  conversation  upon  the  beauties  of 
the  district  and  his  own  projected  tour,  the  General  turned 
somewhat  abruptly  to  young  Thurlow,  and  said:  "I  am 
told  your  father  was  the  guardian  of  the  charming  young 
lady  Fraulein  France — hein  ?" 

''He  was,"  replied  Seville. 

"I  am  glad  you  should  be  here,"  replied  the  Graf 
thoughtfully.  "Hum !  Ha !  I  wish  not  to  speak  too  much 
— not  too  grave.  What  you  call  it  in  England,  when  it 
not  so  grave  as  a  warning,  hein  ?" 

Xeville  hesitated.  "You  wish  to  give  me  something  in 
the  nature  of  a  warning?"  he  asked,  in  some  surprise. 
"A  hint,  perhaps — a  caution?" 

"Caution,  it  is  what  I  mean.  I  learn  something  a  few 
days  since,  I  did  not  know  it  when  Meess  France  she 
make  her  mind  to  take  the  Schloss  for  a — a  period.  I 
think  it  is  better  to  warn — to  caution  you  than  to  speak 
to  herself.  She  is  young  and  she  is  a — a  maiden." 

"You  are  very  kind,"  said  Neville,  "please  tell  me  any- 
thing you  think  I  ought  to  know." 

"It  is  only  that  she  should  be  on  her  guard — you  must 
use  your  own  mind  in  this  matter — whether  you  should 
tell  her,  or  keep  it  in  your  own  head.  Do  I  make  myself 
intelligible  ?" 

"Perfectly.  You  are  about  to  put  me  on  my  guard,  and 
I  am  to  use  my  discretion  as  to  telling  my  cousin  what  you 
say?" 

"Precisely.  That  it  is.  You  know  there  is  in  Ildestadt 
in  the  Frauenstrasse  a  shop — a  Conditorei  (confection- 
er's)— a  good  shop.  Gut!  The  woman  who  keeps  this 
shop  is  a  Saxon,  good  and  sensible,  not  like  these  Rou- 
manians. She  have  a  little  maid  who  come  from  Maros — 


160  ACASTLETOLET 

that  is,  from  the  cluster  of  chalets  around  the  castle — on 
the  Alp  on  which  the  castle  stands.  I  am  talking  to  her 
the  other  day — a  worthy  young  woman,  in  my  own  service 
before  her  marriage.  She  speak  to  me  of  the  young  man 
up  at  the  Castle,  that  young  Esler." 

"Ah,  yes;  the  young  fellow  who  looks  so  well  in  the 
native  costume,"  replied  Neville,  with  interest.  "He  is  a 
very  clever  mountaineer  apparently.  My  cousin  finds  him 
most  useful." 

The  Graf  looked  extremely  grave.  "He  does  not  bear 
a  good  character  in  Ildestadt,  I  hear." 

"Indeed  ?  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that.  My  cousin  thinks 
highly  of  him,  I  believe." 

"'He  is  nephew  to  Frau  Esler,  who  is  a  most  worthy 
woman.  When  her  old  husband  die  last  year,  he  come  to 
live  with  his  aunt.  They  tell  me  he  keep  a  woman  up 
there." 

"Keeps  a  woman!"  echoed  Neville,  in  truly  British 
disgust. 

"Marie  Vorst,  she  is  a  good  woman,  not  a — a — what 
you  say — not  a " 

"Scandalmonger  ?" 

"That  it  is !  She  is  not  a  scandalmonger,  but  she  tell 
me  that  the  young  man  come  down  to  Ildestadt  and  buy 
things — delicatessen — that  he  and  his  aunt  do  certainly 
not  want.  He  buy  many  now  he  have  more  money  from 
Meees  France.  Rahula,  the  sister  of  Marie's  Miona,  is 
now  at  the  Castle ;  she  say  she  know  there  is  a  woman  live 
up  there.  Very  secret.  I  thought  you  ought  to  know 
this." 

"Thanks  very  much,"  said  Neville,  after  a  pause.  "You 
were  quite  right  to  tell  me,  and  not  Camiola.  I  gather 
that  it  would  be  better  for  her  not  to  know,  if  we  can  keep 
it  from  her?  She  will  only  be  here  a  few  months,  and  if 
the  fellow  behaves  himself,  and  does  as  he  is  told,  I  sup- 


THE    BARON'S    HINT  161 

pose  his  private  arrangements  are  hardly  our  affair.  I 
confess  I  am  surprised.  I  should  have  thought  Frau  Esler 
a  very  typical  faithful  family  servant.  I  am  surprised 
she  should  countenance  vice." 

"So  also  was  Marie  Vorst.  She  say  Frau  Esler  the 
best  and  the  more  honest  of  women.  But  the  young  man 
rule  her.  She  say  anything  he  tell  her.  She  say  the  things 
he  buy  are  all  for  her.  She  say  he  make  of  her  an  enfant 
gatee.  They  think  she  say  what  he  tell  her." 

"How  curious!"  said  Neville. 

"I  speak  in  chief  for  Meess  France,  but  also  because  in 
her  great  goodness  she  have  my  boy  and  my  girl  there.  I 
do  not  wish  Conrad  to  be  too  much  with  a  young  man 
who  behave  like  that." 

"One  can't  quite  see,"  observed  Neville,  "why  he  should, 
as  you  say,  behave  like  that.  Is  there  any  reason  why  he 
should  not  openly  be  married?  Why  should  he  hide  the 
woman  ?" 

"That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you,  unless  he  is  living 
with  some  one  else's  wife,"  replied  the  General  bluntly. 

As  he  spoke  a  suspicion  darted  into  Neville's  mind,  of 
so  ridiculous  a  character  that  he  laughed  to  himself.  What 
if  the  concealed  lady  should  be  that  identical  Mrs.  Cooper 
for  whom  he  was  searching  ? 

He  had  duly  found  the  Rechtsanwalt  in  Ildestadt  that 
afternoon,  and  he  had  not  been  encouraging.  However, 
as  Mr.  Cooper  was  prepared  to  spend  money  upon  the 
quest  of  his  erring  partner,  arrangements  had  been  made 
to  put  the  case  into  the  hands  of  a  firm  of  detectives  at 
Buda  Pesth  who  had  a  branch  in  Transylvania. 

It  was,  of  course,  overwhelmingly  unlikely,  but  it  was, 
on  the  other  hand,  possible,  that  the  General  had  just 
supplied  him  with  a  clue.  If  that  were  so,  he  thought 
his  best  way  of  proceeding  would  be  to  conceal  all  that  he 
had  heard,  and  make  it  his  business  to  find  out  as  much  as 


162  ACASTLETOLET 

he  could  about  young  Esler — whence  he  came,  and  so  on. 
It  was,  on  the  face  of  it,  absurd  to  suppose  that  Mrs. 
Cooper  had  run  away  with  a  peasant;  but  Esler  might 
easily  be  something  better  than  a  peasant.  lie  had  the 
manner  of  one  above  his  station,  quiet  and  deferential 
though  he  always  was. 

How  earnestly  Neville  then  wished  that  he  had  learned 
German  in  his  youth !  The  fact  that  young  Esler  spoke  no 
English  at  all  was  a  complete  bar  to  intercourse.  When 
he  came  to  reflect,  it  seemed  also  a  complete  bar  to  any 
theory  that  it  was  he  with  whom  Mrs.  Cooper  had  run 
from  her  husband.  A  man  with  no  English  at  all  could 
hardly  have  passed  time  enough  in  England  to  succeed  in 
detaching  a  man's  wife  from  her  allegiance. 

It  was  not  a  promising  clue.  The  more  he  reflected  upon 
the  subject,  the  more  unsatisfactory  did  it  seem  to  be. 
Yet  there  was  just  the  bare  chance  that  there  was  some- 
thing in  it.  He  was  very  glad  that  Irmgard's  father  had 
spoken  to  him,  and  not  to  anybody  else.  He  earnestly 
asked  him  to  say  nothing  of  it  to  any  other  person,  and 
the  General  was  only  too  glad  to  have  shifted  the  respon- 
sibility of  his  knowledge  to  other  shoulders.  He  impressed 
again  upon  Neville  the  fact  that  it  was  not  serious  enough 
to  be  described  as  a  warning ;  it  was  merely  a  caution,  and 
as  such  Mr.  Thurlow  assured  him  that  he  accepted  it. 
They  parted  with  mutual  esteem,  the  Hungarian  being 
much  pleased  with  his  own  success  in  speaking  the  Eng- 
lish tongue,  and  Xeville  hoping  that  he  had  made  a  good 
impression  upon  Irmgard's  father. 

The  next  morning  was  Sunday. 

It  was  a  lovely  day,  and  the  Popa  from  a  neighbouring 
village  came  up  to  the  Castle  and  celebrated  Mass  at  ten 
o'clock. 

The  Thurlows  were  somewhat  shocked  at  the  idea  of 
being  present  at  this  service,  but  found  Camiola  so  much 


THE    BARON'S    HINT  163 

more  shocked  at  the  idea  of  their  being  absent  that  they 
yielded  gracefully.  The  entire  population  of  the  mountain 
hamlet  seemed  to  be  present;  and  men  and  women  alike 
carried  posies  of  flowers,  a  pretty  custom  which  was  new 
to  all  the  English.  The  good  Popa,  who  usually  preached 
in  the  Roumanian  tongue,  since  all  the  peasants  in  Maros 
were  of  that  nationality,  the  Eslers  alone  excepted,  to-day 
spoke  German,  in  compliment  to  the  visitors.  He  was 
much  pleased  at  being  cordially  invited  to  lunch  after- 
wards. 

Erau  Esler  was  touched  to  find  her  young  mistress  so 
religiously  inclined.  The  previous  Sunday  there  had  been 
no  service;  but  seeing  how  much  it  was  appreciated,  the 
Popa  eagerly  volunteered  to  come  every  week,  and  Cami- 
ola  readily  agreed  to  subscribe  the  necessary  sum. 

In  the  afternoon  they  carried  tea  out  into  the  woods 
above  the  Castle — just  far  enough  to  give  them  all  a  good 
appetite.  It  was  a  glorious  day,  the  sunshine  poured 
through  the  green  boughs,  and  the  moss  made  cradles  in 
which  most  people  went  to  sleep  with  their  novels. 

Camiola  lay  planning  and  planning  to  herself,  how  best 
to  manage  her  private  expedition  with  Esler. 

On  second  thoughts,  she  felt  it  would  hardly  be  prac- 
ticable to  shirk  the  old  Baron's  invitation  to  lunch.  Von 
Courland  would  be  too  disappointed,  and  she  was  most 
unwilling  to  hurt  his  feelings  in  any  way.  She  thought 
the  best  plan  would  be  to  have  her  headache  on  the  fol- 
lowing day — Monday — and  to  send  Betty  and  Seville  to 
Szass  Lona  to  fetch  Irmgard. 

Von  Courland  had  promised  to  come  on  that  day  half- 
way up — as  far  as  the  Kurhaus — to  show  Mr.  Bassett  a 
pool  where  fish  might  sometimes  be  caught.  He  was  to 
dine  at  Orenfels  afterwards,  and  pass  the  night  there.  She 
might  permit  herself  to  recover  from  her  indisposition 
in  time  for  dinner  in  the  evening. 


164  ACASTLETOLET 

The  previous  night,  having  carefully  secured  both  doors 
of  her  room,  she  sought  and  found  the  hidden  spring  which 
Esler  had  described  to  her,  and  opened  the  secret  door.  In 
delicious  terror  she  peered  down  the  dark  winding  spiral, 
and  sniffed  the  damp,  mouldy  scent  which  ascended.  She 
held  her  electric  torch  above  the  void,  and  let  it  flicker 
upon  the  roughly  mortared  stone.  How  glad  she  was  that 
she  had  chosen  her  room  in  the  oldest  part  of  the  Castle ! 
That  alone  made  her  projected  expedition  possible. 

She  ran  out  of  doors  after  supper,  found  the  gardener, 
and  told  him  her  new  plan.  He  seemed  a  little  vexed,  she 
thought,  that  she  should  be  so  determined  upon  keeping 
her  engagement  to  lunch  at  the  Watch  Tower.  He  raised 
no  objections,  however.  He  was,  as  usual,  submissive 
and  ready  to  carry  out  orders.  It  was  arranged  that  they 
should  meet  at  two  o'clock  the  next  day,  in  the  gardening 
cave,  and  proceed  at  once  to  the  Gaura  Draculuj. 

"It  is  not  so  very  far  away,"  he  said.  "Not  more  than 
a  couple  of  miles." 

The  anticipation  of  the  coming  adventure  broke  her  rest 
that  night,  and  gave  her  bad  dreams.  She  did  not,  how- 
ever, dream  of  the  "laidly  worm"  which  she  had  seen  so 
clearly  in  sleep  the  first  night  she  had  passed  in  Ildestadt. 
It  so  happened  that  the  conversation  at  dinner  and  during 
the  evening  had  turned  largely  upon  that  very  subject. 
Arnold  Bassett  remarked  that  there  was,  in  his  opinion, 
good  evidence  for  the  belief  that  saurian  monsters  had 
been  found  in  remote  districts  to  a  much  later  date  than 
was  commonly  supposed.  There  was  the  celebrated  Drag- 
on of  Wantage,  not  to  mention  the  dragon  slain  in  Malta 
by  Dieudonne  de  Gozon.  "They  have  a  legend  of  the 
same  kind  at  Kronstadt,"  said  von  Courland.  "There  is 
a  chasm  in  the  Kapellen  Berg  known  as  the  Xonnenloch, 
or  Xun's  Hole,  which  was  once  the  haunt  of  a  monstrous 
serpent  which  used  to  pounce  on  travellers." 


THE    BARON'S    HINT  165 

Conrad  and  Camiola  capped  this  story  with  the  legend 
of  St.  Ildemund,  as  given  by  Esler. 

By  the  time  they  had  done,  most  people  were  in  a  state 
of  mind  in  which  they  were  half  prepared  to  believe  that 
the  Black  Dragon  or  a  descendant  might  actually  survive. 

In  spite  of  it  all,  Camiola,  when  at  last  she  did  get  to 
sleep,  had  a  dream  which  seemed  in  no  way  connected 
with  the  subject  which  so  preoccupied  her  thoughts,  but 
was  extremely  vivid. 

She  dreamed  that  as  she  lay  in  bed  there  came  a  low 
knocking  upon  her  door.  In  a  panic  she  started  awake, 
to  find  that  it  was  only  a  dream.  When  she  fell  asleep 
again,  and  once  more  heard  the  knocking,  she  said  to 
herself:  "I  am  asleep;  it  is  not  real.  Come  in!"  In 
response  to  this  invitation,  the  secret  door  in  the  panelling 
opened,  and  Esler,  in  his  mountaineering  dress,  with  a  coil 
of  rope  round  his  waist,  came  in,  and  said  calmly :  "This 
way,  please." 

Upon  this  summons  she  rose  from  her  bed,  not  at  all 
surprised  to  find  that  she  was  wearing  a  gown  of  a  won- 
derful shade  of  red  brocade,  and  followed  him  from  the 
room.  They  went  into  the  long  gallery  which  ran  the 
length  of  the  Tudor  wing,  and  passed  through  a  door 
whose  existence  she  had  not  suspected — a  door  in  the 
woodwork,  entirely  concealed  when  closed.  It  seemed  to 
her  that  they  proceeded  through  endless  passages,  through 
suites  of  empty  rooms,  up  and  down  stairs,  along  places 
where  she  had  to  stoop,  almost  to  creep.  Esler  went  along 
before,  never  speaking,  and  she  followed  as  best  she  could. 
At  last  they  came  to  a  door  at  the  end  of  a  dim  passage, 
showing  above  it  the  rafters  of  the  roof  unceiled.  She 
felt  the  door  to  be  the  extreme  end  of  everything.  She 
had  the  feeling  of  reaching  the  denouement  of  an  exciting 
story,  or  awaiting  the  elucidation  of  a  mystery.  "Xo\v," 
she  thought,  "I  shall  understand!  I  shall  know  every- 


166  ACASTLETOLET 

thing!"  Her  guide  laid  his  hand  upon  the  knob  of  the 
door,  and  turned  to  her  with  a  smile  of  triumph  on  his 
lips.  His  eyes  were  sparkling,  his  head  was  held  high, 
and  he  looked  like  a  conqueror  exulting  in  victory. 

Without  a  word  he  slowly,  slowly,  opened  the  door. 
There  before  them  in  the  centre  of  the  room  stood  a  couch, 
on  which  was  stretched  a  woman  asleep.  The  whole  place 
was  fragrant  with  flowers — they  were  white  flowers.  There 
was  a  radiance  of  countless  tapers ;  surely  it  was  a  chapelle 
ardente ;  she  saw,  as  her  eyes  ranged,  in  the  background  the 
kneeling  figure  of  a  priest.  There  was  a  faint  sound  of 
distant  chanting.  Surely  the  lady  was  dead !  .  .  . 

The  thought  struck  her  like  a  blow.  Esler  was  so  happy, 
so  triumphant;  and  yet  this  lovely  woman  was  dead! 
What  could  it  mean  ?  She  began  to  sob  in  her  sleep.  In 
woe  she  crept  nearer,  till  she  was  kneeling  on  the  ground 
quite  close  to  the  couch,  her  hands  clasped,  her  tears  flow- 
ing. 

Then  the  lady  opened  her  eyes,  turned  her  head,  gave 
her  a  smile  which  was  the  counterpart  of  Esler's — a  smile 
so  brilliant  and  unearthly  that  the  shock  of  it  awoke  her. 

She  was  in  her  bed;  the  dawn  was  just  beginning  to 
creep  in  at  her  windows.  So  vivid  had  the  dreaming  been 
that  still  she  seemed  to  sense  the  perfume  of  the  flowers,  to 
hear  the  faint  solemn  chanting.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she 
lay  a  long  time,  while  slowly  her  dream  self  crept  back  to 
join  its  body,  lying  in  the  bed.  There  came  to  her  a 
baffling  sense  of  mystery — of  something  unexplained.  She 
felt  sharply  and  with  anger  that  she  did  not  know  her 
Castle,  that  it  was  full  of  secrets  which  it  kept  from  her. 

That  door  in  the  gallery !  How  clearly  she  had  seen  it ! 
Xobody  had  ever  suggested  a  door  there!  But  then,  it 
was  only  yesterday  that  she  had  learned  the  existence  of  a 
secret  door  in  her  own  room ! 

To  her  surprise  she  felt  the  tears  rushing  from  her  eyes. 


THE    BARON'S    HI  NT  167 

"I  am  only  an  English  tourist,"  she  was  thinking,  "with 
money  enough  to  wring,  from  the  necessity  of  this  old 
family,  the  right  to  inhabit  their  home.  But  it  is  theirs — 
theirs — not  mine!  I  am  nobody;  just  Miss  France,  of 
South  Kensington,  with  hardly  any  ancestors  and  no  an- 
cestral halls.  I  am  a  mere  masquerader  here,  and  the  long, 
silent,  patient  ages  are  laughing  at  me." 

At  this  distressing  moment,  when  everything  actual 
seemed  valueless  beside  the  imaginings  of  her  own  brain, 
one  comforting  thought  came  to  her  and  cheered  her. 

Von  Courland  had  said  that  she  had  come  to  turn  their 
luck.  To  turn  the  luck  of  this  secret,  grim,  reserved  old 
castle  which  would  not  confide  in  her.  The  fantasy  pleased 
her.  She  smiled  to  herself,  and  began  to  follow  out  the 
thought.  The  fairy  prince  or  princess  who  comes  to  the 
rescue  is  always  resisted  by  the  bad  luck  fairies,  who  do 
all  they  can  to  prevent  the  champion  from  winning 
through.  But  if  pluck  and  persistence  could  do  it,  she, 
Camiola,  meant  to  win  through. 

She  thought  of  Esler's  smile  of  radiant  triumph,  of  the 
waking  lady's  glorious  joy.  .  .  . 

"It  was  a  lovely  dream,"  she  told  herself,  "and  most 
encouraging.  I  have  dreamed  a  kind  of  sleeping-beauty 
allegory.  I  have  got  to  reach  the  farthest  point,  and  break 
the  spell." 

So  thinking,  she  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

GAURA   DRACULFJ 

Two  o'clock  was  just  tolling  out  sadly  from  the  plain- 
tive old  clock  which  hung  above  the  outer  gate,  and  which 
had  not  been  set  going  for  years  until  Camiola  summoned 
a  clockmaker  from  Ildestadt,  and  had  it  all  taken  to  pieces, 
oiled,  repaired,  and  made  to  lift  up  its  voice  once  more. 

The  malingerer  reached  the  lowest  spiral  of  her  secret 
stair,  and  saw  the  glimmer  of  Ester's  lantern  in  the  cave 
below. 

There  she  stood — as  unlike  an  invalid  as  anything  you 
could  fancy — accoutred  for  her  adventure  in  a  rose- 
coloured  golfing  jersey  and  cap,  with  short  frieze  skirt 
to  match.  Her  boots  would  have  gladdened  the  heart  of 
any  mountaineer.  Her  eyes  were  sparkling,  and  her  dark 
hair  clustered  in  little  rings  on  her  forehead  under  the 
cap.  She  looked  more  like  a  merry  boy  than  an  heiress. 

Esler,  with  his  coil  of  rope  round  his  waist,  was  so  like 
he  had  appeared  in  her  dream  that  for  a  moment  it  made 
her  jump. 

"Oh  dear,"  she  sighed,  "I  feel  a  guilty  wretch !  Your 
kind  aunt  has  been  in  such  a  state  because  I  was  ill.  She 
sent  me  up  for  lunch  such  broth  as  I  never  tasted.  How 
she  could  have  had  it  ready  all  in  a  minute  is  a  puzzle 
to  me !  She  is  a  wonderful  cook !  I  was  touched,  too,  by 
her  minding  whether  I  was  ill  or  not,  for  I  always  thought 
she  didn't  like  me  a  bit." 

"Some  people,"  observed  the  young  guide,  trimming  his 
lamp,  "some  people  make  you  like  them,  whether  you 
wish  to  or  no." 

168 


GAURADRACULUJ  169 

Camiola  chuckled,  and  began  to  sing  softly: 

"You  made  me  love  you! 
I  didn't  want  to  do  it!"  .  .  . 

He  looked  up  in  surprise.  "Only  a  silly  London  song ! 
What  you  said  put  me  in  mind  of  it,"  she  explained. 
"Well,  is  all  ready  ?  Shall  we  be  off  ?" 

"The  sooner  the  better,"  rejoined  he.  His  manner  was 
full  of  confidence  and  energy.  He  uttered  no  more  warn- 
ings. Having  made  up  his  mind  to  the  expedition,  he 
had  no  intention  of  going  back  on  his  decision. 

"We  must  go  along  a  passage  here,"  he  continued.  "It 
is  not  very  high,  but  you  can  manage  all  right.  I  will 
tell  you  when  to  dip  your  head." 

So  saying,  he  handed  her  a  candle  in  a  glass  shade, 
and  moved  before  her  to  the  left  of  the  cave,  whence  a 
winding  path  went  down,  as  it  were,  into  the  bowels  of 
the  earth. 

"This,"  he  said  presently,  "was  the  secret  way  into  the 
castle.  In  the  fourteenth  century  the  overlord  of  the 
Vale  of  Yndaia  was  besieged  for  three  months  in  the 
castle  by  the  Voyvod  of  Menes-Gola.  All  that  time  pro- 
visions were  sent  in  nightly  by  way  of  this  tunnel  from 
Ildestadt.  The  enemy,  who  could  not  conceive  by  what 
means  the  garrison  held  out,  set  spies  in  all  directions; 
and  at  last  one  of  these  followed  a  man  up  from  the  town, 
tracked  him  to  this  spot,  and  saw  him  enter  the  mountain. 
The  night  was  so  dark  that  he  could  hardly  say  how  he 
entered — simply  he  disappeared.  The  besiegers  thought 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  by  daylight  in  finding  the 
way  in.  They  failed  to  do  so,  however,  search  as  they 
might,  so  they  set  a  watch  of  six  men.  Each  of  these 
was  slain  by  an  arrow  from  an  unseen  marksman.  I  will 
show  you  presently  the  hole  through  which  they  took  aim. 


170  ACASTLETOLET 

The  next  food-carrier,  when  he  came  up,  found  six  of  the 
enemy  dead.  After  that  the  siege  was  raised.  They 
thought  the  devil  was  on  the  side  of  Orenfels." 

Camiola  was  much  pleased  with  this  story,  and  asked 
many  questions.  He  told  her  that  some  thought  Orenfels 
was  a  corruption  of  Ohrenfels,  the  rock  with  an  ear,  in 
allusion  to  the  hidden  loop-hole. 

They  had  come  by  this  time  to  the  concealed  outlet. 
He  showed  her  the  tiny  cleft  through  which  the  arrows 
had  been  shot,  and  then,  opening  the  door,  which  revolved 
upon  a  pivot,  let  her  out  into  the  sunshine  of  the  moun- 
tain-side. 

When  he  had  closed  the  aperture  behind  him,  it  was 
indeed  hard  to  tell  which  was  the  door,  of  all  the  big 
stones  which  looked  so  much  alike. 

"We  will  go  the  quickest  way,"  he  said,  "and  that  is 
through  part  of  the  cavern  which  you  know  already,  Frau- 
lein — the  cavern  which  we  usually  enter  from  the  keep." 

They  crossed  a  little  depression  in  the  hill-side,  clam- 
bered over  the  hillock  beyond  it,  and  entered  a  curious 
cave  mouth,  almost  blocked  with  stones,  so  that  she  had 
to  clamber  over.  Once  inside,  however,  it  was  possible 
to  stand  upright;  and  on  they  went,  through  winding 
ways,  until  they  came  down  into  the  home  cavern  as  it 
was  called,  and  were  met  by  the  musical  song  of  the  little 
stream  rushing  along  its  subterranean  course. 

They  followed  it  to  the  arch  where  it  emerged,  and  at 
that  point  Esler  stopped,  and  handed  his  lamp  to  her. 
"If  you  will  hold  both  the  lights,  I  will  carry  you  across," 
he  said. 

She  readily  complied,  and,  taking  her  in  his  arms,  he 
stepped  carefully  into  the  swiftly  running  water,  took  a 
couple  of  strides,  and  set  her  upon  the  farther  side. 

Thence,  a  bit  of  a  climb  up  a  steep  place  in  which 
centuries  ago  iron  staples  had  been  fixed  to  make  the 


GAURA    DRACULUJ  171 

ascent  easier,  brought  them  out  into  an  open  cavern,  whose 
terrific  roof  seemed  like  the  top  of  a  huge  jaw,  which 
might  descend  and  crush  them  at  any  moment ;  and  thence 
into  the  full  light  of  day  once  more. 

"We  cut  off  a  mile  by  coming  that  way,"  he  told  her. 
"But  if  we  have  to  bring  the  party,  we  shall  not  use  it. 
I  never  let  people  know  that  the  Gaura  Draculuj  can  be 
reached  by  the  home  cavern.  It  is  better  not." 

Camiola  did  not  reply.  She  was  so  impressed  by  the 
spot  in  which  she  now  found  herself  that  she  could  think 
of  nothing  else. 

They  stood  half-way  up  one  side  of  a  mighty  ravine. 
There  was  no  vegetation,  nothing  but  bare  rock,  scraped 
and  striated  by  the  movements  of  some  mighty  glacier  in 
bygone  ages.  Far,  far  below  their  feet  the  torrent  roared, 
sullen  in  a  channel  only  a  few  feet  in  width,  but  very 
deep,  so  Esler  told  her. 

In  front  of  them,  up  the  ravine,  an  enormous  black 
rock  blocked  the  horizon.  Already  it  had  cut  off  the  sun, 
and  the  whole  gruesome  place  was  in  shadow.  This  was 
indeed  a  place  for  nightmares.  As  they  two  stood  gazing 
forth  into  the  savage  gloom,  the  story  of  the  Black  Dragon 
changed  suddenly  from  legend  to  fact.  It  must  be  true, 
was  the  girl's  insistent  thought. 

The  path  upon  which  they  stood  was  just  wide  enough 
to  be  safe.  It  had  the  look  of  having  been  artificially  cut. 

"Does  it  make  you  dizzy  ?"  inquired  the  young  man, 
after  an  earnest  look  at  his  charge. 

"Xot  dizzy.  But  it  is  impressive,"  she  almost  whis- 
pered. "Isn't  it  ?" 

He  assented.  "It  is  like  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of 
Death,"  he  remarked;  adding  hurriedly:  "I  have  read 
that  book — in  a  translation,  of  course." 

"Yes,  it  is,"  she  responded  sympathetically;   "fiends, 


172  ACASTLETOLET 

hobgoblms,  and  dragons  of  the  pit !"  She  shrank  back  a 
little,  as  he  moved  onward. 

He  glanced  quickly  at  her.  "Take  my  hand,"  he  said, 
in  a  voice  of  quiet  encouragement.  "I  have  been  here  so 
often  that  it  is  nothing  to  me ;  but  I  know  it's  a  bit  nasty 
at  first." 

She  gave  him  her  hand  with  eagerness,  and  his  warm 
fingers  closed  about  it.  This  encouraged  her  most  sur- 
prisingly, and  she  went  on  bravely.  After  a  silence  she 
faltered :  "I  didn't  expect  it  would  be  like  this." 

"If  you  come  in  from  the  other  end,  it  isn't  nearly  as 
bad,"  he  told  her ;  "but  I  thought  I  would  bring  you  this 
way;  you  appreciate " 

He  broke  off,  a  little  consciously,  as  though  he  feared 
to  have  been  familiar.  Evidently  she  had  no  such  thought. 
She  walked  along  with  her  eyes  wide  and  eager,  her  ex- 
pression that  of  concentrated  resolution. 

Soon  they  turned  a  corner  to  their  right,  and  it  could 
be  seen  that  the  grim  black  mountain  did  not  completely 
cut  off  the  way,  for  a  path  bent  round  and  led  to  a  gully 
between  two  hills. 

Here,  with  no  precipice  looming,  she  could  walk  safely. 
She  detached  her  hand  from  the  clinging  warmth  of  his, 
and  felt  an  immediate  cessation  of  a  curious  tingling, 
like  the  flowing  of  an  electric  current,  of  which  she  had 
been  conscious. 

Xeville  Thurlow,  speeding  in  the  car  down  the  easy 
valley  road  to  Szass  Lona  with  the  hope  of  seeing  Irmgard 
in  his  mind,  dreamed  of  nothing  less  than  that  his  cousin 
was  at  that  very  moment  alone  on  a  secret  expedition  in 
the  heart  of  the  hills,  with  the  young  man  concerning 
whom  there  was  such  unpleasant  scandal  in  the  town. 

Though  the  way  they  now  went  was  safe,  it  was  as 
gloomy  and  as  awe-inspiring  as  before.  In  the  narrow 
gully  where  they  walked,  the  black  peaks  almost  met  over- 


GAURA   DRACULUJ  173 

head.  Before  them  arose  a  medley  of  rocks  like  shat- 
tered towers  crushed  in  an  earthquake.  Among  them 
Esler  wound  his  way,  until,  looking  back,  she  could  not 
perceive  the  path  by  which  they  had  come. 

At  last  he  paused  near  a  tall,  natural  archway  in  the 
rock,  and,  setting  down  what  he  carried,  examined  care- 
fully the  light  of  his  lantern. 

As  Camiola  had  brought  an  electric  torch,  they  left  her 
candle-stick  outside  on  a  rock. 

"That  will  be  a  clue  when  they  come  to  find  us,"  said 
the  girl  mischievously. 

"Don't!"  he  replied  sharply. 

"Why  did  you  bring  all  that  rope?"  she  asked,  watch- 
ing him. 

"Because — in  case  of  accidents,"  he  answered.  "One 
never  knows  on  a  mountain." 

Rising,  he  gave  the  word  to  enter.  They  walked  along 
a  fine,  spacious  cave,  growing  darker  and  darker  as  they 
advanced.  Esler  went  forward  slowly,  flashing  the  light 
of  his  lantern  into  every  corner.  Camiola  did  the  same. 
Once  he  paused,  and  stood  motionless,  staring  into  a  dim 
angle  of  the  rock.  "Stay  where  you  are,"  he  murmured 
under  his  breath.  She  stood  while  he  crept  forward,  silent- 
footed,  and  focussed  the  whole  radiance  of  his  light  upon 
the  obscure  corner.  Xothing  was  there.  He  turned,  and 
made  her  the  signal  to  advance. 

The  walls  closed  in  as  they  went  on,  until  it  was  a 
narrow  tunnel,  and  ere  long  they  stood  before  a  low  arch, 
not  more  than  three  feet  high.  There  was  sand  upon 
the  ground,  and  Esler,  stooping,  examined  it  with  minute 
care. 

"This  is  just  as  I  left  it,"  he  said.  "I  made  that  tiny 
cairn  of  stones.  ISTobody  has  passed  out  or  in  since  I  was 
here  last.  Now,  please,  wait  here,  while  I  go  in  and 
reconnoitre." 


174  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

She  sat  obediently  down  upon  the  ground,  without  a 
word.  Her  heart  was  thumping,  but  she  betrayed  no  signs 
of  nervousness.  Esler  stooped,  went  through  the  arch 
and  disappeared.  She  waited  a  minute  or  two,  and  then 
came  his  voice:  "It  is  quite  all  right,"  he  said,  "you 
had  better  come  in  on  your  hands  and  knees;  it  is  about 
eight  feet  before  you  can  stand  upright." 

She  obeyed,  and,  crawling  rapidly  through,  stood  on 
her  feet  within,  and  brushed  the  sand  from  her  knees. 

"Gaura  Draculuj,"  said  Esler  simply. 

He  had  lit  up  two  rows  of  candles,  one  on  each  side, 
so  that  she  could  see  well.  She  stood  in  a  cavern,  the 
shape  of  which  was,  roughly  speaking,  semi-circular.  They 
had  entered  at  about  the  middle  of  the  curved  side.  The 
wall  which  faced  them  was  almost  vertical  and  very  lofty. 
Between  it  and  the  place  where  they  stood  yawned  a 
chasm,  the  farther  edge  of  which  was  formed  by  the  wall 
itself.  It  extended  the  whole  width  of  the  cave,  and  was 
about  twelve  foot  across,  though  not  quite  regular  in  shape. 
The  floor  was  not  level,  but  sloped  slightly  inwards  to  the 
fissure,  in  circular  fashion,  like  one-half  of  the  shallow 
mouth  of  a  funnel. 

The  first  thing  which  struck  her  particularly  was  .the 
heat.  The  place  was  like  a  mouldy  conservatory.  She 
contemplated  the  black,  faintly  damp  walls.  There  were 
no  deep  recesses ;  no  place  in  which  a  monster  could  lie 
perdu.  Esler  answered  her  unspoken  thought. 

"If  our  preposterous  theory  were  true,"  he  murmured, 
"'if  there  were  a  monster,  he  must  have  been  lurking  out- 
side in  the  large  cavern  and  followed  them  in." 

She  shrank  back  with  a  nervous  glance.  "If  anything 
could — suppose,  I  mean,  that  anything  did — come  in  now, 
what  would  you  do  ?"  she  whispered. 

He  pointed  to  a  rope,  with  a  looped  end,  which  dangled 
from  one  wall.  "I  have  been  at  work  here  on  and  off  for 


GAURA    DRACULUJ  175 

months,"  he  said,  "and  the  first  thing  I  did  was  to  plan 
a  retreat.  I  have  cut  footholds  a  long  way  up,  and  then 
there  is  an  ascending  ledge.  I  think  you  could  go  up,  at 
least  some  of  the  way,  and  I  could  follow,  hand  over  hand, 
and  pull  you  up,  if  you  were  not  able  to  go  far." 

She  looked  at  the  rope  a  little  doubtfully.  "If  fear 
drove  me,  perhaps  I  could,"  she  laughed.  "But  not  hand 
over  hand!" 

"Of  course  not.  I  served  my  time  in  the  navy,  and  I 
know  how  to  show  a  clean  pair  of  heels.  If  I  learnt  noth- 
ing else,  I  learnt  that.  I  cut  the  footholds,  because  it  has 
of  course  always  been  my  intention  to  share  my  discovery, 
should  I  make  one.  Will  you  let  me  try  if  I  could  get 
you  up  ?" 

She  consented,  feeling  that  she  would  have  a  much 
easier  mind,  should  she  feel  herself  able  to  make  a  sudden 
escape. 

Esler  buckled  his  lantern  on  his  arm,  seized  the  rope, 
gave  a  swing,  and  had  run  up  the  footholds  in  a  minute. 
"Xow  sit  in  the  rope,  and  use  your  hands  to  help,"  he 
cried.  "Do  it  as  rapidly  as  you  can." 

She  did  as  she  was  told  at  once.  Sitting  in  the  loop, 
and  grasping  the  rope  firmly,  she  was  hauled  up,  using  the 
footholds  as  levers,  and  found  herself  landing  upon  a 
damp,  clammy  shelf  of  rock,  which  formed  a  kind  of 
path,  leading  upwards  in  a  slant,  along  the  wall's  face. 

"I  have  an  idea,"  observed  Esler,  "that  there  is  a  way 
out  up  here,  if  one  could  find  it.  I  explored  one  day,  a 
good  way  along,  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  at  one 
time  a  path  had  been  partially  cut,  leading  down  from 
above." 

"It's  rather  dizzy,"  she  remarked,  laughing. 

"You  would  soon  grow  used  to  it,  I  think.  I^ow  I  will 
let  you  down,  and  you  shall  try  going  up  by  the  foot- 
holds." 


176  ACASTLETOLET 

She  was  nothing  loath.  He  let  her  down  carefully, 
following  himself ;  and  then,  catching  the  rope,  she  began 
to  climb,  he  standing  below  and  encouraging  her.  It  was 
easy  enough  for  the  first  step  or  two.  Then  came  a  diffi- 
cult one.  He  assured  her  the  next  was  easier.  She  plucked 
up  courage,  found  to  her  joy  that  above  the  bad  place  the 
slope  was  in  her  favour ;  and,  finally,  landed  triumphantly 
on  the  ledge  to  Esler's  unconcealed  satisfaction. 

She  drew  a  breath  of  relief;  as  she  did  so,  a  sound 
startled  her.  It  was  a  low,  chuckling  laugh,  quite  dis- 
tinct. She  glanced  down  at  him  in  panic.  "Oh,  what's 
that?" 

"That's  all  right;  I  often  hear  it,"  he  replied  tran- 
quilly. She  stood,  straining  her  ears  for  a  repetition  of 
the  sound.  "Come  down  to  me,"  he  whispered;  "we  will 
go  to  the  edge  of  the  chasm  and  look  over.  It  is  all  right. 
I  made  a  big  cross  in  the  sand  last  time  I  was  here,  and 
I  found  it  just  the  same.  The  least  touch  must  have 
disturbed  it." 

She  descended,  quite  successfully,  and  they  crept  very 
cautiously  to  the  brink  of  the  horrible  chasm.  Though 
not  perfectly  regular  in  shape,  it  did  not  vary  much  in 
width.  From  end  to  end  it  measured  twenty  feet  or  more. 

Lying  down  quite  flat  on  his  chest,  Esler  held  his  light 
as  far  outward  and  downward  as  he  could.  The  depth 
was  sheer,  as  far  as  they  could  see. 

"They  let  a  man  down  on  a  rope,"  he  murmured,  "and, 
as  I  think  it  tells  you  in  the  guide-book,  they  found  some 
bones — sheep  bones — on  a  ledge  about  eighty  feet  down. 
They  dared  not  go  lower  because  of  the  atmosphere;  the 
lamps  they  lowered  would  not  burn  below  about  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet." 

A  thought  came  to  Camiola,  and  she  could  not  help 
laughing  at  her  own  folly  as  she  voiced  it.  "Do  you  think 
lights  would  make  it  angry  ?" 


GAURA    DRACULUJ  177 

"I  have  never  heard  that.  It  is  rolling  down  rocks 
that  seems  to  irritate  it.  At  least,  poor  old  Hoffman 
said  so." 

"Hoffman  did  not  tell  you  what  he  saw?" 

"No ;  he  told  my  aunt.  He  was  a  friend  of  theirs,  you 
know.  He  said  that  he  grew  so  enraged;  but  I  ought  to 
explain  a  little.  The  case,  you  see,  was  this.  He  found 
himself  faced  with  ruin.  The  disappearance  was  the 
talk  of  the  whole  country.  The  thing  was  so  unaccount- 
able that  stories  of  foul  play  actually  got  about.  It  was 
said  that  two  of  the  victims — spinsters  of  middle  age  from 
the  United  States — had  with  them  a  fabulous  amount  of 
ready  money  and  jewels,  and  that  Hoffman,  in  order  to 
possess  himself  of  these  things,  had  arranged  a  wholesale 
murder.  The  tale  would  not  hold  water  for  a  moment; 
but  you  know  how  these  things  persist.  The  American 
papers  were  very  cruel.  Well,  he  determined  that  at 
whatever  cost  he  would  wring  the  secret  of  this  cave  from 
it.  He  came  up  here  alone — I  suppose  he  really  was  half- 
crazed — and  rolled  a  whole  lot  of  stones  in  from  the  outer 
cave,  and  sent  them  crashing  down  into  the  depths.  He 
told  my  aunt  that,  listening  very  keenly,  he  could  hear 
that  some  fell  much  farther  than  others,  and  that  those 
dropped  over  on  the  extreme  right  went  down  the  deep- 
est. Then  suddenly,  as  a  particularly  large  one  crashed 
down,  he  heard  a  long-drawn  hiss,  like  twenty  snakes, 
fire  and  smoke  came  up  from  the  pit,  and  in  the  midst 
there  appeared  the  head  and  neck  of  an  enormous  serpent, 
black  and  shining,  hissing  like  the  very  devil.  He  says 
it  reared  its  head  above  the  pit's  mouth  and  looked  at 
him ;  then,  roaring  and  muttering,  subsided  into  the  hole, 
sank,  and  was  seen  no  more." 

As  his  musical  voice  ceased,  there  came  again  that 
low  chuckling  from  the  depths  of  the  fathomless  abyss. 

"How  perfectly   awful!"    cried    Camiola.      "But  you 


178  ACASTLETOLET 

know  the  thing  did  him  no  harm.  That  doesn't  account 
for  the  tourists,  does  it  ?" 

"Ah,  well,  it  wasn't  hungry  at  the  time,  you  see,"  he 
remarked,  with  much  meaning. 

She  contemplated  the  inky  depths.  "I  don't  believe 
anything  could  come  climbing  up  that,"  she  remarked 
sceptically. 

"2s"ot  any  ordinary  thing,  I  grant  you,"  he  replied 
absently. 

Once  more  the  chuckling  sounded.  "He  seems  to  under- 
stand German,"  observed  Camiola  idly. 

The  young  man  laughed,  showing  all  his  short,  even 
teeth.  Their  faces  were  quite  near  each  other,  appearing 
somehow  different  from  usual  in  the  glimmering  light  of 
the  lantern  and  candles. 

"I  suppose,"  she, said  slowly,  with  a  meaning  glance  at 
the  fine  collection  of  rocks  piled  up  against  one  side  of  the 
cave,  "that  we  had  better  not  try  to  irritate  him  to-day  ?" 

"We  haven't  time,"  he  said,  taking  out  his  watch,  "if 
you  want  to  be  back  in  your  room  by  the  time  Fraulein 
Maldovan  reaches  the  castle.  We  must  come  again.  If 
you  can  get  out  of  the  way  so  quickly,  there  ought  not  to 
be  much  risk." 

"If  he  can  rise  out  of  that  hole,  surely  he  could  rise 
to  the  place  where  we  were  standing?"  she  suggested. 

"I'm  a  good  shot,"  remarked  Esler  quietly,  "and  a 
bullet  through  his  brain  ought  to  quiet  him." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE   CROSS   OX   THE  SUMMIT 

"On,  my  poor  darling  thing!"  cried  Irmgard  vehe- 
mently, rushing  into  Camiola's  room.  "I  am  so  sorry  to 
hear  that  you  are  seedy !  Hadn't  we  better  send  down  a 
message  to  Ildestadt  for  the  Herr  Doktor  Stahlschmidt  ? 
He  isn't  bad,  though  he  is  Saxon." 

"Why,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  am  heaps  better  this 
evening,"  replied  Camiola,  sitting  up  in  bed  and  shaking 
her  mane  of  hair.  "I  am  going  to  get  up  and  dress  and 
come  downstairs." 

"That  is  good  news,"  was  the  delighted  response.  "I 
must  say  you  don't  look  as  if  there  was  much  the  matter 
with  you." 

"Xo,  of  course  there  isn't;  but  you  know  what  my 
headaches  are.  When  they  come  on,  there  is  simply  noth- 
ing for  it  but  solitude  and  bed." 

"Well,  Captain  von  Courland  will  be  pleased.  He  has 
been  looking  so  dejected  all  the  way  uphill  that  my  heart 
has  bled  for  him.  Oh,  Camiola,  do  you  know  that  every- 
body speaks  so  well  of  him  ?  Old  Frau  von  Arnstein  was 
telling  me  how  highly  they  think  of  him  in  his  regiment. 
Suppose  it  is  really  true  that  he  is  to  turn  the  luck  of  the 
Vajda-Maros !" 

Camiola's  eye  kindled.  "Ah!"  she  sighed,  "how  inter- 
esting it  all  is !  Come  in,  Marston !  As  I  am  in  my 
nightie,  you  must  take  the  Fraulein  to  her  room,  and 
show  her  everything.  Oh,  my  dearest,  I  do  hope  you  will 
be  comfy!  I  couldn't  give  you  a  room  quite  near  mine, 

179 


180  ACASTLETOLET 

but  you  are  next  door  to  Betty,  and  I  think  you  will  get 
on  together.  She  is  so  much  nicer  by  herself  than  in  her 
own  family.  So  is  Nev.  I  really  quite  like  him,  these 
last  few  days." 

A  carmine  blush  rose  in  Irmgard's  fair  face,  and  for  a 
moment  Camiola  was  at  a  loss  to  guess  its  cause.  The 
girl  turned  away  in  a  hurry,  and  asked  Marston  to  show 
her  her  room ;  and  as  they  departed,  Camiola  leaned  back 
on  her  pillows  with  a  gay  laugh. 

"Come  back  and  dress  me,  Marston.  I  am  going  down 
to  dinner,"  she  cried  after  them.  And  then,  curling  up 
under  the  bedclothes  she  began  to  play  with  a  new,  de- 
lightful little  idea. 

Neville  and  Irmgard !  Who  would  have  thought  that 
such  a  girl  could  care  for  a  solemn  old  stick  like  Nev? 
But  what  a  delight,  what  unexpected  happiness  to  have 
her  best  friend  married  to  an  Englishman,  settled  in 
England!  Would  General  llaldovan  approve?  Married 
daughters  in  England  must  complicate  the  issue  for  the 
most  patriotic  of  us  when  war  is  on  the  tapis.  And 
Conrad!  What  would  he  says?  It  was  really  very  ex- 
citing. 

Certainly,  when  she  walked  into  the  oriel  drawing-room 
that  evening,  in  rose-coloured  satin,  nobody  could  have 
thought  that  anything  ailed  Miss  France. 

Otho  von  Courland  turned  from  his  talk  with  Betty, 
and  came  forward  with  eager  welcome  in  his  eyes. 

"I  am  so  glad !  I  was  afraid  you  might  not  be  able 
to  take  part  in  to-morrow's  expedition,"  he  cried.  "Where 
is  it  to  be  ?" 

"The  Summit,"  replied  Arnold  Bassett,  from  his  seat 
beside  the  fire.  He  usually  felt  chilly  of  an  evening,  even 
in  this  beautiful  weather.  "But  I  must  own  to  yon  that 
Herr  Neumann,  when  we  stopped  for  tea  at  the  Blaue 
Vogel,  prophesied  rain." 


THE    CROSS    ON    THE    SUMMIT     181 

"If  it  rains,  it  won't  matter  a  bit,"  announced  Camiola. 
"I  have  a  glittering  plan  in  my  bead  of  wbat  we  sball  do 
the  first  really  wet  day.  However,  nobody  need  ask  me 
what  it  is,  because  I  shall  not  tell." 

They  all  collected  round  her,  besieging  her  with  ques- 
tions, Conrad  in  particular  being  so  urgent  that  he  had 
to  be  smothered  with  sofa  pillows,  tickled  and  otherwise 
maltreated,  before  he  would  desist  from  his  importunity. 
In  the  midst  of  the  romping  the  dinner  horn  was  blown, 
and  they  all  went  downstairs. 

"Xow  our  party  is  complete,"  cried  Camiola  brightly, 
smiling  round  her  table.  "How  fortunate,  as  we  are 
eight,  that  Miss  Purdon  and  I  are  the  same  sex;  it  en- 
ables us  to  sit  right,  doesn't  it  ?" 

"You  have  recovered  very  satisfactorily  from  your  head- 
ache, young  woman,"  remarked  Bassett  dryly. 

"Headaches  simply  have  to  go  in  this  air,"  she  replied. 
"Isn't  it  like  champagne  ?  It  gets  into  my  head." 

"Shall  you  be  equal  to  a  four  hours'  climb  to-morrow  ?" 

"Why,  of  course!  I  don't  mind  betting  that  I  am  as 
good  a  one  to  go  as  you  yourself,"  she  cried  resentfully. 

"I  have  advised  Miss  Purdon  not  to  attempt  it,"  he 
went  on.  "She  has  an  excellent  plan.  She  will  set  out, 
escorted  by  Esler,  later  in  the  day,  and  climb  as  far  as  a 
place  rejoicing  in  the  name  of  Mezo  Bolo,  where  they 
will  have  tea  ready  for  us  as  we  come  down.  Is  not  that 
a  good  idea?" 

"Oh,  but  I  don't  think  we  can  do  without  Esler  all 
day,"  swiftly  said  Camiola. 

"What  nonsense,  Camiola,"  put  in  Neville.  "Here  are 
myself,  Bassett  and  von  Courland,  not  to  speak  of  Con- 
rad ;  and  Erwald  will  be  with  us.  What  can  you  want 
with  a  larger  retinue  ?" 

Camiola  paused.  She  had  been  about  to  say  that  it 
was  her  party;  she  gave  orders  and  made  arrangements; 


182  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

but  just  as  she  was  going  to  speak,  she  caught  Esler's  eve. 

He  was  waiting  upon  them  as  usual,  but  knowing  that 
he  spoke  no  English  nobody  troubled  to  be  careful  in  what 
they  said.  Yet,  as  Camiola  met  his  glance,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  believe  that  he  had  not  understood  the  foregoing 
conversation.  His  eyes  admonished  her  as  plainly  as 
speech,  that  she  should  not  attempt  to  carry  her  point. 

"Oh,  well,  as  you  say.  I  suppose  he  is  not  wanted," 
she  said  slowly.  "It  is  a  very  good  idea  that  our  tea 
should  be  carried  up  to  us.  How  nice  to  have  Uncle 
Arnold  to  arrange  all  these  things  so  capably !  It  lessens 
my  responsibilities  enormously." 

If  there  was  a  dry  accent  in  her  incisive  little  voice  as 
she  said  this,  nobody  seemed  to  notice.  Bassett  accepted 
the  compliment  graciously,  and  Neville  breathed  freely. 
He  was  thinking  how  dangerous  it  is  at  all  times  for  a 
young,  unmarried  girl  to  be  in  control  of  her  own  actions, 
and  backed  by  abundant  means.  She  is  so  easily  deceived 
and  imposed  upon.  He  had  confided  to  Bassett  something 
of  what  the  Graf  had  told  him  of  Esler,  and  they  were 
fully  agreed  that  Camiola  had  better  remain  in  ignorance 
unless  it  should  be  actually  necessary  to  inform  her,  but 
that  she  should  be  quietly  kept  out  of  the  young  man's 
way. 

The  following  day  belied  the  landlord's  prophecy.  The 
wind  changed,  and  it  was  very  fine  indeed. 

The  party  set  out  quite  early,  and  made  excellent  time 
to  the  summit,  Betty  proving  a  much  better  pedestrian 
than  could  have  been  hoped. 

As  Esler  was  clipping  the  edge  of  the  bowling  green, 
Camiola  managed  to  get  a  word  with  him  before  the  start. 

"Esler,"  said  she,  a  little  breathlessly,  "did  I  do  right  ? 
Did  you  mean  me  not  to  make  a  point  of  your  coming 
with  us  to-day?" 


THE    CROSS    ON    THE    SUMMIT      183 

He  paused  in  his  occupation,  to  look  up  at  her  in  blank 
surprise. 

"Pardon,  Fraulein  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  puzzled  voice. 

She  felt  herself  brought  up  short.  "I — I  thought,"  she 
stammered,  "that  you  heard  what  we  were  saying  about 
your  coming,  at  dinner  last  night." 

He  shook  his  head  with  a  melancholy  smile.  "I  speak 
no  English,  Fraulein." 

The  young  mistress  stood  gazing  upon  him,  with  a 
sense  of  being  flung  back  upon  herself.  Was  this  well- 
behaved  servant  the  same  person  who  had  yesterday  led 
her  through  secret  passages,  along  the  brink  of  precipices, 
up  the  sheer  side  of  a  rock  ? 

With  a  little  tingling  shock  she  realised  that  she  had 
been  forgetting,  in  the  intense  interest  of  their  inter- 
course, the  social  gulf  which  divided  them.  It  had  been 
he  who  reminded  her  of  it. 

She  felt  furious  with  him.  Turning  her  back  without 
a  word,  she  marched  indoors  with  her  chin  in  the  air.  How 
detestable  it  was  to  be  as  proud  as  this  man !  Why  could 
he  not  simply  and  gratefully  accept  the  kindness  she 
showed  him  ?  Why  must  he  always  be  stiffening  his  back, 
just  when  you  least  expected  it?  Inside  in  private  she 
stamped  her  foot. 

That  morning,  for  the  first  time,  as  they  ascended  the 
mountain,  she  allowed  von  Courland  to  begin  to  cross  the 
barrier  between  acquaintance  and  friendship,  to  talk  of 
intimate  things,  to  claim  her  sympathy. 

Her  mind  was  in  a  curious  ferment;  she  could  not  un- 
derstand her  own  impulses.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  she 
was  swayed  by  the  notion  of  how  good  a  revenge  it  would 
be  to  marry  Otho,  become  the  true,  legitimate  owner  of 
this  castle  which  stood  so  coldly  aloof,  to  dismiss  Esler, 
and  to  continue  his  researches  with  all  the  money  at  her 


184  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

command,  until  they  were  brought  to  a  satisfactory  con- 
clusion without  his  help. 

She  desired,  quite  sharply,  that  Esler  should  give  her 
a  chance  to  snub  him  as  he  had  so  many  times  snubbed 
her.  She  felt  that  she  would  enjoy  seeing  him  completely 
discomfited. 

Meanwhile,  von  Courland  was  very  interesting,  for  he 
could  tell  them  all  about  the  finding  of  the  past  traces 
of  the  fated  party  on  the  spot  where  they  had  lunched. 

The  sky  was  blue  and  cloudless  as  they  stood  there 
to-day;  the  summer  breeze  blew  warm  and  soft,  fanning 
them  after  the  strenuous  ascent. 

All  about  them  the  mountains  lifted  their  mighty  bas- 
tions. A  few  hundred  yards  farther,  and  they  would 
see  the  majestic  summit  of  the  Negoi. 

Here,  among  the  short,  rich  grass  and  the  scattered 
stones,  had  been  found  certain  bits  of  cheese-rind,  with 
bread-crumbs  and  chicken  bones;  also,  under  a  little  cairn, 
the  empty  wine-bottles  which  the  light-hearted  tourists 
had  done  their  best  to  hide. 

A  rough  stone  cross  stood  upon  the  spot.  Hung  round 
it  was  a  board,  upon  which  was  painted  an  inscription, 
already  considerably  weather-beaten.  Translated,  it  ran 
thus : 

Here,  on  this  place,  were  found  the  latest  traces  of  the 
ill-fated  party  which  left  the  Kurliaus  for  the  Kulm  on 

the  —  day  of  June,  19 ,  and  were  never  heard  of 

afterwards 

"Requiem  ceternam  dona  eis,  Domine!" 

There  followed  the  list  of  names : 

Sarah  G.  Adams,  Sagramore  City,  Kansas. 
Althea  Adams,  her  niece. 


THE    CROSS    OX    THE    SUMMIT     183 

Mrs.  Euphemia  Doane,  California. 

Mr.  Quincy  P.  Doane,  her  son. 

II err  Hermann  Schneider,  Leipzig. 

Frau  Schneider. 

Ilerr  Gaspard  von  Courland,  of  Orenfels. 

Martin  Erwald,  guide. 

La-dislaus  Huiti,  guide. 

The  Englishmen  reverently  uncovered  their  heads  as 
they  gazed.  Camiola  translated  the  words  for  the  benefit 
of  Xeville  and  Betty.  The  Thurlows  had  not  realised 
that  Captain  von  Courland's  own  brother  had  been  among 
the  lost,  and  Betty  turned  to  him  with  her  blue  eyes  brim- 
mine;  with  tears, 

''Oh !"  she  cried,  "I  have  been  laughing,  and  talking 
and  teaming  you  all  the  way  up,  and  I  never  knew,  I  never 
thought " 

He  was  touched  and  charmed  by  her  sympathy.  "I 
must  own,"  he  admitted,  "that  I  had  seen  but  little  of  my 
brother,  who  was  very  much  older  than  I.  His  loss,  which 
killed  my  mother,  was  not  a  very  real  grief  to  me.  I 
wish,  however,  that  I  had  been  older  at  the  time.  I  cannot 
help  feeling  that  more  might  have  been  done  than  was 
done,  in  the  way  of  clearing  up  the  mystery." 

"What  exactly  do  you  mean?"  asked  Bassett,  with  in- 
terest. 

"I  mean  that  the  local  superstition  about  a  dragon,  or 
some  such  nonsense,  seems  to  have  deprived  everybody  of 
their  senses,  and  caused  them  to  assume  that  these  per- 
sons met  their  end  in  the  cave  known  as  the  Gaura  Dra- 
culuj,  or  Devil's  Chasm.  That  cannot  be  true;  it  was 
shown  to  be  false  at  the  time  of  the  inquiry,  because  no 
trace  that  they  had  ever  entered  the  cave  was  discovered. 
In  fact,  there  was  proof,  in  the  shape  of  untrodden  sand, 
that  they  had  not  done  so.  Yet,  as  far  as  investigation 


186  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

of  other  places  went,  very  little  seems  to  have  been  done." 

"Erwald,"  said  Camiola  abruptly,  "was  the  guide  your 
brother?" 

"Yes,  gnadigste." 

"I  never  knew  your  brother  was  one  of  the  guides," 
she  said,  with  eager  interest.  "Do  you  know  whether  it 
was  his  intention  to  take  the  party  to  the  Gaura  Draculuj 
or  not  ?" 

"I  know  that  it  was  not,  gnadigste.  My  brother  had 
some  reason,  which  unluckily  he  never  confided  to  us,  for 
thinking  the  Gaura  Draculuj  unsafe.  He  was  a  very 
careful  man.  He  told  me  the  night  before,  that  the  young 
Herr  von  Courland  was  most  anxious  to  show  the  Ameri- 
can ladies  the  place,  but  that  he  did  not  mean  to  take 
them  there." 

This  was  the  longest  speech  that  Camiola  had  ever  heard 
Erwald  make. 

"He  might  have  been  overborne?"  suggested  Bassett, 
who  had  listened  with  close  attention. 

"It  is  likely,  mein  Herr;  but  as  the  young  Herr  Cap- 
tain has  just  said,  there  was  proof  that  they  did  not  go." 

"Who  was  the  first  person  after  the  tragedy  to  visit  the 
spot  in  question — I  mean  this  Devil's  Chasm,  or  whatever 
you  call  it?"  inquired  the  K.C. 

"The  three  people  who  first  went  thither  were  Frau 
Esler,  Michael  Esler,  her  husband,  and  myself.  We  went 
there  very  early  upon  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after 
the  disappearance.  Search  parties  had  been  out  on  the 
mountain-side  for  thirty-six  hours,  but  nobody  had  been 
to  the  cave,  because  Herr  Hoffman  was  positive  that  the 
party  did  not  mean  to  go  there.  The  place  they  meant 
to  visit,  if  there  was  time  after  reaching  the  Kulm,  was 
the  place  they  call  Trollsbriicke — the  Troll's  bridge — 
above  the  Trollzahner  Falls.  It  was  in  that  neighbour- 
hood that  the  most  careful  search  was  made,  for  the  rocks 


THE    CROSS    ON    THE    SUMMIT     187 

a  IT?  decidedly  dangerous.  We  decided,  however,  that  we 
v.-onld  make  certain  that  they  had  not  visited  the  Gaura 
Draculuj,  BO  we  went  in  the  early  morning — we  three 
tog-ether. 

"We  took  lights  with  us,  although  we  thought  it  pos- 
sible we  might  find  candles  there,  for  the  guides  at  that 
time  used  to  carry  bite  of  candle  in  their  pockets  to  light 
up  for  visitors,  as  the  place  is  absolutely  pitch  dark.  Had 
the  party  been  there,  my  brother  and  the  other  guide  would 
have  first  gone  in,  lit  the  lights,  and  then  called  in  the 
visitors.  There  was  no  trace  of  any  person  having  passed 
into  the  cave.  The  sand  at  the  entrance — you  must  know 
that  you  go  in  through  a  very  low  arch — had  collected 
so  that  there  was  not  room  to  go  in  until  one  had  cleared 
some  of  it  away.  Most  certainly  nobody  had  been  there." 

Camiola  stood  listening,  with  the  mental  picture  of  the 
place  in  her  brain. 

"Did  you  go  in,"  she  asked,  "and  make  sure  that  no 
candles  had  been  put  there?" 

"Certainly  we  did.  There  were  no  candles,  nor  candle- 
sticks. Xobody  had  been  there." 

"How  far,"  asked  Bassett  suddenly,  "is  the  Trolls- 
briicke  from  here  ?" 

"About  two  hours,  mein  Herr.     Mostly  downhill." 

"Could  we  go  there  to-day?" 

"Yes,  you  could  go  there,  but  not  if  you  want  to  meet 
the  Fraulein  Purdon  at  Mezo  Bolo.  You  would  return 
to  the  castle  by  a  quite  different  route." 

"What  do  you  think  ?  Shall  that  be  our  next  excur- 
sion ?"  asked  Bassett  of  the  others.  "Shall  we  follow  the 
imaginary  footsteps  of  the  perished  party,  first  to  the 
Trollsbriicke,  and  afterwards  to  the  Devil's  Chasm  ?" 

"Agreed!"  cried  everybody.  And  Camiola  set  herself 
to  think  how  she  could  best  keep  them  from  going  to  that 
horrible  place,  until  her  own  curiosity  had  been  satisfied. 


188  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

If  Esler  were  Jier  ally,  the  thing  might  be  managed ;  but 
now  that  Esler  had  turned  disagreeable,  she  felt  that  she 
wanted  no  further  dealings  with  him. 

There  came  a  thought  into  her  mind.  Suppose  that  she 
confided  all  to  von  Courland  ?  Suppose  she  were  to  make 
a  secret  appointment  with  him  to  visit  the  cave,  and  see 
whether  they  could  stir  up  the  monster?  How  surprised 
Esler  would  be!  She  quite  longed  to  see  his  face  grow 
stony  and  submissive,  in  the  way  she  had  several  times 
seen  it,  as  she  calmly  announced  to  him  what  she  had 
done. 

She  had  a  perfect  right  to  do  that,  or  anything  else 
she  pleased !  She  was  mistress  here. 

All  the  way  down  to  Mezo  Bolo  the  thought  strove 
within  her.  Should  she  or  should  she  not  take  the  Cap- 
tain into  her  confidence?  He  was  most  conveniently  by 
her  side,  and  they  talked  a  great  deal.  If  she  were  to 
say:  "I  have  been  to  the  Devil's  Chasm,  and  I  believe 
that  there  really  is  something  there — something  alive, 
something  that  laughs,  something  that  might  one  day 
show  itself" — what  would  he  think  ? 

She  looked  up  at  his  face  and  wondered  whether  he  was 
to  be  trusted.  It  did  not  occur  to  her  to  reflect  that  she 
had  not  for  a  moment  doubted  the  trustworthiness  of 
Esler.  Without  a  misgiving  she  had  confided  herself  to 
his  care. 

They  got  down  to  the  appointed  rendezvous  in  excel- 
lent time,  and  found  the  young  gardener  busily  occupied 
in  setting  out  tea  things.  Marston  had  been  coaxed  to 
come  too,  and  she  was  presiding  over  the  spirit-kettles  in 
a  state  of  pleasurable  flutter. 

"Mr.  Esler,  he  does  understand  how  to  build  a  place 
to  keep  the  draught  off  the  kettles,"  she  remarked  with 
exultation.  "There's  tea  and  to  spare  ready  here,  how- 
ever thirsty  you  may  all  be.  Xow,  Master  Conrad,  none 


THE    CROSS    ON    THE    SUMMIT     189 

of  your  tricks,"  she  added,  with  a  squeal,  as  the  boy  tried 
to  place  a  little  lizard  which  he  carried  upon  the  smooth 
of  her  neck. 

Camiola  flew  to  the  rescue,  but  Conrad  was  a  prime 
favourite,  and  might  do  as  he  liked  with  the  maids.  The 
tiff  was  soon  made  up,  and  the  lizard  made  haste  to 
escape  from  a  situation  which  it  disliked  infinitely  more 
than  Marston  did. 

"Camiola,  you  look  a  bit  white,"  remarked  Miss  Pur- 
don,  her  gaze  travelling  to  Miss  France  from  Betty's  rose- 
cheek. 

"I  believe  I  am  just  a  wee  bit  tired,"  confessed  Camiola, 
unable  to  mention  the  fact  of  her  fatiguing  expedition  of 
the  previous  day. 

"Ah,  you  ought  not  to  have  got  up  and  come  down- 
stairs last  night,"  remarked  Mizpah  sagely. 

"Oh,  bosh;  I  feel  perfectly  well,"  protested  the  girl, 
"'only  I  want  my  tea." 

She  found  Esler  close  to  her,  with  a  cushion  for  her  to 
sit  upon  and  a  cup  of  tea  in  his  hand. 

"I  don't  want  any  coddling,"  said  she  impatiently, 
throwing  the  cushion  across  to  Betty.  She  added  in  Ger- 
man, "I  don't  like  the  look  of  that  tea;  it  is  too  strong; 
take  it  away."  Von  Courland  was  eagerly  offering  an- 
other, which  she  took,  hoping  from  the  bottom  of  her  heart 
that  Esler  was  hurt. 

He  went  silently  away,  returning  almost  immediately 
with  the  spice  cakes  that  she  particularly  fancied.  These 
also  she  refused,  and,  having  done  so  quite  rudely,  began 
to  feel  better. 

Esler  and  Erwald  were  having  tea  with  Marston,  their 
backs  to  the  company.  Camiola  began  to  tell  Mizpah  of 
the  pathetic  cross  and  its  inscription.  The  others  took  up 
the  theme,  and  the  disappearance  was  eagerly  discussed  in 


190  ACASTLETOLET 

all  its  aspects,  until  it  was  time  to  break  camp  and  go 
home. 

In  the  confusion  of  the  departure  Esler  came  close  to 
Camiola,  and  said,  in  an  undertone:  "I  have  brought  a 
spare  mule.  From  here  you  can  ride.  It  would  be  best 
for  you  to  ride  home." 

"What  nonsense!"  said  she  petulantly.  "I  had  much 
rather  walk." 

He  raised  his  eyes,  which  he  seldom  did,  and  looked 
very  wistful.  "If  you  would,  Fraulein,"  he  began  hesi- 
tatingly. 

"Well,  I  won't !"  she  snapped.    "Don't  bother,  please." 

"No,  Fraulein."  He  turned  away,  going  slowly  some 
distance  from  where  she  stood  to  the  place  where  the  mules 
were  tied.  He  began,  as  if  unwillingly,  to  take  off  the 
lady's  pommel  which  he  had  fixed  to  the  saddle.  His 
head  was  bent,  and  she  was  sure  his  face  was  red.  She 
felt  quite  pleased.  She  had  scored  this  time.  She  had 
shown  him  that  she  would  not  be  snubbed. 

Before  they  reached  home  she  was  conscious  of  having 
been  very  silly.  She  was  really  tired,  and  the  way  seemed 
long  and  dull.  Von  Courland  was  talking  to  Betty; 
Neville  and  Irmgard  seemed  inseparable.  Conrad  was 
excited  and  tiresome,  wanting  his  things  held  while  he 
dashed  after  butterflies,  and  so  on.  Esler  was  ahead, 
leading  the  despised  mule,  which  everybody  was  too  proud 
to  use.  About  half-way  down,  Conrad  having  run  a  long 
way  from  the  path,  she  seated  herself  on  a  stone  by  the 
wayside,  true  to  her  resolve  never  to  let  him  go  out  of 
sight.  She  felt  a  little  injured.  Surely  it  was  Irmgard's 
place  now  to  look  after  the  boy ;  he  was  her  brother.  Or 
Esler — what  was  Esler  for,  if  not  to  see  that  the  tiresome 
child  did  not  stray? 

Her  feet  ached,  her  heart  was  heavy ;  she  saw  the  sun- 
set burn  upon  the  mountain-side,  through  a  mist  which 


THE    CROSS    ON    THE    SUM  MIT     191 

veiled  her  eyes.  Then  came  the  sound  of  gentle  hoofs, 
treading  daintily,  and  she  saw  Esler  coming  back  with 
her  mule. 

All  her  temper  rose  once  more  to  the  surface.  When 
he  was  abreast  of  her,  she  said: 

"I  am  not  sitting  here  because  I  am  tired,  but  because 
I  must  keep  a  watch  upon  the  boy." 

"If  the  Fraulein  will  go  on,  I  will  be  answerable  for 
the  little  Herr,"  said  Esler,  so  gently  and  so  sweet-tem- 
peredly  that  she  felt  ashamed. 

He  stood  a  minute,  leaning  against  the  mule's  glossy 
neck,  his  gaze  fixed  upon  the  evolutions  of  Conrad,  dash- 
ing to  and  fro  among  the  alpenrose  bushes.  He  had  in- 
vited her  to  go  on,  but  as  she  thought  of  rising,  she  realised 
how  tired  her  feet  were. 

Then  she  heard  his  voice:  "The  Fraulein  is  angry 
with  me,"  he  said  most  respectfully,  "and  I  do  not  know 
why.  But  I  cannot  bear  her  to  be  too  tired,  just  because 
she  will  not  give  me  the  privilege  of  mounting  her.  I  am 
her  servant,  and  if  I  have  done  anything  to  make  her 
displeased  with  me,  I  beg  her  pardon  most  humbly." 

She  felt  some  triumph,  because  she  had  shown  her  dis- 
pleasure, and  made  him  apologise.  Yet,  mixed  with  it 
was  vexation  that  he  should  perceive  her  ill-temper. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  she  said  impatiently. 
"What  are  you  talking  about  ?" 

To  this  he  made  no  reply  at  all,  merely  raising  his  eyes 
and  letting  his  gaze  rest  upon  her.  It  was  as  though  he 
were  pleading  with  her  not  to  let  peevishness  get  the  upper 
hand,  or  as  though  he  begged  silently  for  forgiveness. 

"As  you  have  brought  back  Jacynth,  I  think  perhaps 
I  may  as  well  mount  her,"  she  said  slowly,  rising  to  her 
feet.  She  did  not  look  at  him.  With  dragging  feet  she 
went  round  to  the  near  side  of  the  mule,  and  stooping,  he 
held  his  hand  for  her  foot.  In  a  moment  she  was  in  the 


192  A   CASTLE    TO   LET 

saddle,  in  a  vexed,  prickly  mood,  irritated  alike  at  her 
own  caprice  and  at  her  own  capitulation. 

Esler  turned  from  her,  his  hand  on  the  bridle,  and  sent 
a  long,  clear  whistle  across  the  hillside  for  Conrad.  The 
boy  came  at  once,  leaping  among  the  boulders,  his  cheeks 
carmine,  his  eyes  sparkling. 

"Why  couldn't  you  come  before  when  I  called  you?" 
asked  Camiola,  quite  pettishly. 

"I'm  so  sorry.  I  didn't  know  you  wanted  me,  'Miola. 
But  Esler  said  when  I  heard  that  whistle,  I  was  always 
to  come  that  instant,  whatever  I  might  be  doing." 

"And  what  were  you  doing?"  asked  Camiola,  as  they 
they  began  to  descend  the  path. 

Conrad  began  to  reply  at  such  length  that  his  recital 
lasted,  with  a  little  encouragement  from  Esler,  all  the  way 
home.  The  cool  evening  breeze  fanned  Miss  France's 
hot  cheeks,  and  dissipated  her  annoyance.  Jacynth's 
pace  was  soothing,  and  she,  like  her  rider,  seemed  to 
think  that  all  was  well  when  Esler's  hand  was  on  the  rein. 

By  the  time  they  stopped  at  the  Castle  gate,  Camiola 
regretted  her  childish  display  of  ill-temper. 

"I'm  sorry  I  was  so  snappy,"  she  said  abruptly  to  Esler. 
as  he  dismounted  her. 

"I  am  your  servant,"  he  answered  very  simply,  but  in 
a  voice  which  conveyed  far  more  than  the  bare  words. 
The  girl  felt  a  curious  heat,  a  quickening  of  the  pulses, 
as  she  went  in  at  the  little  gate,  across  the  flagged  court, 
to  where  the  others  stood  grouped  about  the  steps. 

"We  must  be  a  little  more  wide-awake,"  said  Bassett, 
in  a  low  voice  to  Neville.  "You  see  the  young  scamp  has 
contrived  to  bring  her  home,  after  alL" 


CHAPTEE  XVIII 

A    PROJECTED    ALLIANCE 

CAMIOLA'S  fatigue  had  passed  by  the  next  morning. 
This  was  the  day  upon  which  they  were  to  take  their  lunch 
in  the  Watch  Tower,  by  invitation  of  the  old  Graf  von 
Orenfels.  She  came  down  to  breakfast  in  capital  spirits, 
and  found  Otho  enlivening  the  company  with  a  vivid 
description  of  his  aunt  and  his  two  maiden  cousins.  For 
several  past  generations  the  Vajda-Maros  had  married 
Hungarians,  as  there  were  no  Roumanians  of  their  own 
class  for  them  to  marry.  The  present  mistress  of  the 
watch  tower  was  Galician  by  birth,  and  only  the  old  Graf 
could  understand  the  Roumanian  tongue.  Their  life  was 
most  isolated,  and  the  ladies  of  the  family  had  a  habit  of 
echoing  each  other,  until  sometimes  the  reiteration  grew 
positively  laughable.  He  gave  an  example: 

"You  come  into  the  room,  after  having  been  out  in  a 
violent  storm,  and  find  the  three  dear  ladies  at  their  work 
as  usual.  My  aunt  begins:  'Otho,  lieber  Kerl,  I  think 
you  have  been  out  in  the  rain/  Then  Cousin  Anna,  after 
a  little  pause:  'Otho,  we  think  you  must  be  very  wet/ 
I  assure  them  that  I  had  on  my  overcoat  and  am  dry. 
Then  Cousin  Linda:  'Otho,  it  has  rained  a  great  deal. 
Are  you  wet  ?' ' 

This  recital  was  given  in  German,  and  some  of  it  needed 
a  little  translating,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Thurlows.  The 
conversation  at  table  was  wont  to  be  of  a  curiously  mixed 
description,  for  Austrians  and  English  alike  understood 
more  of  the  other  language  than  they  spoke;  and  often 
Otho  and  Betty  conversed,  each  in  their  own  tongue,  with 

193 


194  ACASTLETOLET 

the  result  that  they  understood  one  another  fairly  well. 
Sometimes  an  odd  jargon  resulted  from  the  fact  that  the 
speaker  began  in  the  language  which  was  not  his  own, 
and  supplemented  it  with  words  in  his  native  tongue;  as 
Camiola  remarked,  following  the  advice  given  to  Alice  by 
the  Red  Queen:  "Speak  in  French  when  you  can't  think 
of  the  English  for  a  thing." 

It  was  wonderful  how  quickly  all  progressed  upon  the 
road  of  being  mutually  intelligible,  after  a  few  days  spent 
wholly  in  each  other's  society.  In  the  atmosphere  of 
Transylvania,  with  servants  who  spoke  no  English,  the 
growing  tendency  was  for  the  foreigners  to  assimilate 
native  words. 

Miss  Purdon  was  looking  a  little  depressed  that  morn- 
ing, and  upon  being  rallied,  she  admitted  her  curious  dis- 
taste for  the  Watch  Tower,  and  described  the  vivid  dreams 
which  had  visited  her  when  she  was  staying  at  the  Blaue 
VogeL 

Otho,  listening  with  interest,  remarked  that  it  would 
be  no  wonder  if  that  blood-stained  old  place  were  haunted. 
"My  ancestors  seem  to  have  been  a  nice  lot,"  he  remarked. 
"Quite  lately  we  came  across  the  remains  of  one  of  their 
charming  deeds.  They  were  re-papering  one  of  the  bed- 
rooms— or  rather  cells;  they  are  so  small  that  you  can 
hardly  call  them  rooms — and  they  found  a  place  where 
the  plaster  came  off,  showing  that  a  doorway  had  been 
built  up  with  stones.  As  they  are  very  short  of  cup- 
boards, my  aunt  gave  orders  to  have  it  opened,  and  inside 
they  found  the  skeletons  of  two  children.  I  don't  know 
who  they  were.  Perhaps  old  Johanna,  my  uncle's  ser- 
vant, could  tell  us.  They  must  have  been  there  for  a 
couple  of  centuries,  judging  by  the  masonry,  and  we  con- 
jectured that  they  may  have  something  to  do  with  the 
curse  laid  on  the  family.  They  were  both  boys,  and  their 
ages  seem  to  have  been  about  six  and  eight  years.  My 


A    PROJECTED    ALLIANCE        195 

uncle  had  them  duly  interred  in  the  family  vault  under 
the  church  floor,  and  we  fondly  hope  that  this  pious  deed 
may  have  lifted  the  curse."  He  smiled  at  Camiola,  with 
a  sudden,  flashing  smile,  instantly  withdrawn,  before  she 
had  time  to  be  embarrassed. 

Conrad  burst  in,  begging  to  be  allowed  to  see  the  cup- 
board where  the  bones  had  been  found. 

"It  was  funny,"  said  Otho.  "My  brother  Gaspard  was 
put  to  sleep  in  that  room  when  he  was  a  little  chap,  and 
my  aunt  says  that  two  or  three  times  he  has  told  her  that 
there  were  little  boys  in  his  room.  They  thought  he  alluded 
to  a  picture  of  the  Holy  Family  that  hung  on  the  wall; 
but  as  he  seemed  reluctant  to  sleep  there,  they  moved  him 
to  another  room.  I  sleep  there  myself  now,  and  I  have 
not  seen  them." 

"Captain  von  Courland,"  observed  Betty,  "I  don't  think 
I  like  you.  Breakfast-time  is  not  the  proper  occasion  for 
ghost  stories." 

"I  should  have  thought  it  the  best,"  chimed  in  Bassett. 
"Time  to  forget  them  before  bedtime." 

"They  must  come  to  an  end  now,  however,"  decided 
Miss  Purdon.  "We  ought  to  set  out  in  about  half  an 
hour." 

In  view  of  this  great  occasion,  the  ladies  put  on  their 
prettiest  frocks.  Among  the  delicate  colouring  and  pale 
tints,  Irmgard's  sombre  garb  stood  out  conspicuous. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  becoming  to  her  white  skin 
and  golden  hair  than  the  dead  black  of  her  simple  voile 
dress.  Her  throat  rose  from  the  square-cut  embroidery 
of  her  bodice  like  a  column  of  rare  alabaster.  The  shade 
of  her  wide  hat  threw  up  the  clustering  gold  beneath  it. 

It  had  been  arranged  between  her  father  and  Miss  Pur- 
don that,  in  spite  of  her  deep  mourning,  Irmgard  should 
go  where  the  others  went  and  share  their  pleasures,  other- 
wise things  would  have  been  difficult.  This,  according  to 


196  ACASTLETOLET 

the  ideas  of  the  local  society,  was  anything  but  comme  il 
faut.  But  then,  everybody  knows  that  the  English  are 
mad,  <°.nd  have  no  regard  for  propriety.  In  view  of  such 
eccentricity,  much  must  be  pardoned ;  and  the  few  officers' 
wives  having  been  present  at  the  Frau  Maldovan's  funeral, 
and  having  marked  Camiola's  real  grief  and  suitably  black 
attire,  were  willing,  seeing  that  she  was  so  fabulously  rich, 
to  make  allowances  for  social  ignorance. 

The  regiment  comprised  the  entire  society  within  visit- 
ing distance  of  Ildestadt.  These  had  all  been  invited  to 
coffee  that  afternoon  at  the  Watch  Tower  to  meet  the 
Engliinclerin.  It  would  be  something  of  an  ordeal, 
Oamiola  felt.  She  had  an  uneasy  foreboding,  as  though 
it  were  an  invitation  which  would  leave  her  a  member  of 
Ildestadt  society  in  a  manner  she  had  by  no  means  in- 
tended. 

She  felt  a  little  nervous,  a  little  uncertain  of  herself, 
as  Erwald  mounted  her  upon  her  beautiful  Jacynth.  He 
had  put  clean  holland  covers  upon  the  ladies'  saddles,  so 
as  not  to  soil  their  pretty  frocks.  She  looked  for  Esler, 
who  usually  mounted  and  dismounted  her,  but  he  was 
nowhere  about.  The  trifling  fact  helped  to  send  her  off 
with  the  least,  vaguest  feeling  of  dissatisfaction. 

The  gentlemen  were  all  on  foot,  and  during  the  descent 
they  went  on  ahead ;  but  at  the  Kurhaus  they  waited,  and 
Otho  placed  himself  beside  her.  He  looked  very  hand- 
some and  upright,  an  oddly  charming  figure  in  his  moun- 
tain costume;  but  she  contemplated  him  with  something 
of  the  feeling  with  which  a  butterfly  may  view  him  who 
approaches  with  a  net. 

He  pleased  her  more  than  any  man  she  had  met  so  far ; 
certainly  more  than  any  man  who  had  expressed  a  desire 
to  marry  her.  The  fact  that  he  was  heir  of  Orenfels  added 
greatly  to  his  attraction  in  her  eyes.  She  thought  it 
vaguely  possible  that  it  might  orid  so.  Yet  it  all  seemed 


A    PROJECTED    ALLIANCE        197 

hurried  and  unreal.  She  was  not  ready  for  marriage; 
she  did  not  mean  to  bind  herself.  She  demanded  more 
time  to  live,  to  realise  herself,  to  ascertain  what  kind  of 
man  it  was  that  she  really  wanted  to  have  for  a  husband. 
She  was  anxious  not  to  give  definite  encouragement,  and 
inclined  to  doubt  the  wisdom  of  this  visit;  yet  she  told 
herself  that  it  was  ridiculous  to  be  apprehensive  on  this 
score.  Nobody  could  be  foolish  enough  to  think  that, 
because  you  came  to  lunch  with  your  landlord,  you  were, 
so  to  speak,  making  a  public  announcement  of  your  will- 
ingness to  accept  the  addresses  of  his  nephew ! 

Yet  conscience  was  whispering  to  her  that  there  was  a 
difference  between  this  day  and  two  days  back.  Yester- 
day, upon  the  way  to  the  summit,  she  had  permitted  Otho 
to  make  a  forward  move.  She  knew  it,  and  he  knew  it. 
Nothing  definite  had  been  said,  but  their  relation  had 
subtly  changed.  This  made  her  uncomfortable;  and  as 
they  walked  on,  she  was  realising  that,  having  once  yielded 
an  outpost,  she  must  expect  the  enemy  to  have  advanced 
so  much  nearer  the  citadel. 

As  Bassett  walked  beside  Miss  Purdon's  mule,  he  was 
observing  the  two  in  front. 

''Was  it  judicious?"  he  asked  suddenly,  ''for  Camiola 
to  start  a  footing  of  intimacy  with  these  people  ?  What 
made  her  do  it  ?" 

"You  have  misgivings  ?  So  have  I,"  returned  the  lady. 
"But  the  thing  was  inevitable  from  the  first  moment  that 
young  von  Courland  saw  her.  Of  course,  we  had  no  pre- 
vious idea  of  his  existence,  when  she  decided  to  take  this 
place.  We  went  across  the  Market  Square  to  interview 
the  old  Graf,  and  this  young  fellow  suddenly  marched  in. 
Then  an  awkward  thing  happened.  Camiola  was  very 
anxious  to  get  possession  at  once  of  the  castle,  because  I 
own  that  I  was  not  comfortable  at  the  inn  at  Ildestadt. 
It  was  on  my  account  that  she  was  so  eager.  She  decided 


198  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

to  go  up  and  make  final  arrangements  early  the  following 
morning.  I  had  been  sleeping  so  badly  that  I  really  was 
not  equal  to  the  exertion,  and  the  old  Graf  volunteered  to 
go  with  his  nephew.  Of  course,  it  ended  in  his  letting 
them  go  alone,  and  the  whole  town  has  been  gossiping  ever 
since." 

"It  almost  looks  as  if  we  were  expressly  sanctioning  the 
idea  of  an  alliance — this  arriving  in  state,"  he  remarked, 
with  a  twinkling  eye.  "But  I  shouldn't  think  Camiola 
means  anything  serious,  does  she  ?" 

"One  would  not  suppose  so.  He  has  not  a  farthing  in 
the  world,  and  he  is  not  of  her  own  faith." 

"By  her  behaviour  on  Sunday  she  was  leading  him  on 
to  suppose  that  she  is  ready  to  join  the  orthodox  Church 
on  the  smallest  provocation." 

Mizpah  smiled.  "If  they  think  so,  they  little  know 
their  Camiola." 

"I  suppose,"  mused  Bassett,  "that  she  might  conceiv- 
ably do  worse.  He  is  of  good  birth,  will  have  a  title,  and 
owns  a  castle  in  o-ne  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  in  Europe." 

"But  she  might  do  much  better." 

"Well,  I  don't  see  how  we  are  to  help  it,"  he  concluded, 
after  meditation.  "I  own  that  I  like  the  fellow.  He  is 
a  gentleman.  But  if  she  won't,  there  will  not  be  much 
harm  done.  She  will  be  leaving  the  place  in  a  few  weeks' 
time,  and  his  heart  will  mend  fast  enough,  for  I  don't 
suppose  he  would  be  hopelessly  smitten  if  it  were  not  for 
her  gilded  halo.  It  must  count,  even  with  the  most  dis- 
interested of  men." 

All  Ildestadt  was  indeed  agog  as  they  rode  in.  Every- 
body knew  that  the  Herrschaften  from  the  Schloss  were 
coming  to  take  their  Mittagsessen  with  the  Graf  and 
Grafin.  Herr  Xeuxnann,  having  cooked  the  dinner  they 
were  to  eat  and  supplied  the  necessary  cutlery,  silver  and 
glass,  knew  well.  Marie  Vorst,  who  had  turned  out  a 


A   PROJECTED    ALLIANCE        199 

special  batch  of  Kaffeekuchen  for  the  afternoon's  recep- 
tion, was  equally  correctly  informed.     Most  people  were 
standing  in  their  doorways,  or  in  the  street,  and  their 
remarks  were  approving,  though  fortunately  not  loud. 
"In  spite  of  being  an  Englanderin,  I  do  not  call  her  so 


"Ach  nein,  she  is  not  amiss,  and  will  be  better  when 
she  learns  to  forsake  English  oddities,  and  dress  like  a 
Transylvania  maiden." 

"He  will  soon  teach  her  that.  So  handsome  a  fellow 
will  have  his  own  way  in  all  things." 

"Doubtless.  Do  you  remember,  we  used  to  think  it 
might  be  the  little  Maldovan?" 

"She  is  a  pretty  girl,  and  will  have  a  dot.  But  what  is 
that  beside  the  Englishwoman's  thousands  ?" 

"Which  now  is  the  heiress  ?  The  dark  one,  or  the  little 
love  in  pale  blue  ?" 

"Why,  she  beside  whom  our  Otho  is  walking  is  the 
heiress — the  dark  one!" 

"Ach  so!  I  wish  it  were  the  little  fair  one;  she  is  an 
ideal  bride,  like  the  princess  in  a  fairy  tale." 

"He  seems  to  have  no  eyes  but  for  the  Fraulein  Prance, 
however.  See  how  he  courts  her !  Lucky  girl !  But  for 
me  she  is  too  thin,  and  her  face  is  all  eyes.  I  like  dimples 
and  rosy  cheeks." 

So  the  babble  went  on.  Though  its  import  did  not 
reach  her  ears,  Camiola  knew  they  spoke  of  her.  She 
wished  that  Otho  were  not  marching  in  this  "conquering- 
hero"  style  beside  her  saddle.  In  fact,  she  suggested  that 
he  might  go  and  ask  Betty  if  she  were  tired.  He  seemed 
not  to  hear,  however ;  he  was  so  absorbed  in  pointing  out 
to  her  exactly  how  far  his  ancestral  lands  had  formerly 
extended  along  the  Ildenthal. 

Marie  Vorst  stood  in  the  Market  Square,  and  dropped 
a  deep  curtsey  to  the  young  Herr  as  he  approached.  Hei 


200  ACASTLETOLET 

keen  eyes  searched  the  cortege  as  it  filed  past,  and  as  she 
remarked  that  young  Esler  was  not  there,  a  smile  of  satis- 
faction curved  her  lips. 

"Then  the  Herr  General  did  find  time  before  his  de- 
parture to  drop  a  hint/'  she  inly  reflected.  "I  have  put 
a  spoke  in  his  wheel.  A  young  upstart !  Thinks  himself 
too  good  for  my  Lise,  does  he  ?  Thinks  he  can  go  about 
with  his  mouth  shut,  and  that  nobody  can  find  out  any- 
thing about  the  things  he  wants  to  keep  dark  ?  He  will 
find  that  it  is  not  so  good  a  thing  to  make  an  enemy  of 
Marie  Vorst!  Why,  my  girl  could  marry  anybody.  She 
will  have  a  dot,  too;  and  he  is  just  the  old  Grafs  gar- 
dener, at  twelve  marks  a  week.  A  nice  cock  to  think  he 
can  crow  over  all  the  girls  in  Ildestadt !" 

By  this  time  they  had  crossed  the  Market  Square,  and 
approached  the  little  postern  door  of  the  tower. 

It  stood  open  to-day,  and  the  old  Graf  himself  was 
just  within.  He  came  forward  with  hand  outstretched  in 
welcome,  and  made  a  long  speech  which,  owing  to  his 
toothless  condition,  was  difficult  for  foreigners  to  follow, 
but  which,  as  far  as  Camiola  could  grasp  it,  seemed  to 
contain  no  embarrassing  allusions. 

He  greeted  each  lady  elaborately  as  she  was  dismounted, 
and  then,  bidding  Otho  follow  with  the  Fraulein  France, 
he  gave  his  shaking  arm  to  Miss  Purdon,  and  led  her  up 
the  winding  stair,  their  progress  being  so  slow  that  the 
younger  and  more  frivolous  members  of  the  party  behind 
were  in  agonies  of  stifled  laughter. 

In  the  curious  room  into  which  the  two  ladies  had  been 
ushered  upon  their  previous  visit,  there  sat  in  state  three 
antique  survivals  of  the  local  aristocracy  of  an  earlier 
period.  These  were  the  wife  and  the  two  daughters  of 
the  Graf  von  Orenfels,  but  they  all  looked  exactly  the  same 
age,  and  seemed  all  to  have  reached  precisely  the  same 
stage  of  decay.  All  three  wore  little  caps  of  lace  and 


A    PROJECTED    ALLIANCE        201 

ribbon  upon  their  sparse  and  faded  hair,  each  had  a  large 
lace  collar  and  a  vast  gold  brooch  like  a  poached  egg. 
Miss  Purdon,  seeking  for  some  point  of  differentiation, 
observed  that  one  lady  wore  mittens,  and  hoped  that  this 
might  be  the  mistress  of  the  house,  in  which  conjecture 
she  was  fortunately  right. 

The  old  Graf  presented  her  in  due  form,  and  then, 
turning  to  Camiola,  led  her  forward,  and  expressed  the 
hope  that  the  friendship,  so  auspiciously  begun,  might 
continue  unbroken  for  many  years. 

This  was  a  hope  which  one  could  echo  without  feeling 
too  self-conscious;  and  when  the  whole  party  had  been 
received,  with  three  precisely  similar  salutations,  the  ten- 
ant of  the  castle  sat  down,  and  tried  to  tell  her  hostess 
how  pleased  she  was  with  her  beautiful  summer  house. 

The  old  lady  was  not  expansive.  She  remarked,  draw- 
ing a  little  shawl  more  closely  around  her  narrow  shoulders 
— her  shoulders  were  the  only  part  of  her  that  was  narrow 
— that  for  her  part  she  had  found  the  Schloss  draughty 
and  inconvenient,  and,  besides,  so  sclirecklich  entfernt. 
She  had  been  thankful  to  come  down  into  the  town,  where 
one  could  at  least  see  a  little  life. 

Camiola  sympathised.  She  owned  that  she  herself 
could  not  face  the  idea  of  living  always  in  so  remote  a 
spot ;  but  for  one  summer  it  was  ideal. 

All  three  of  them  surveyed  her  as  if  she  were  a  phe- 
nomenon they  could  not  understand.  Then  one  asked, 
with  a  faint  flutter  of  interest,  whether  she  found  Frau 
Esler  satisfactory.  Her  reply  to  this  was  prompt  and 
warm.  Frau  Esler  was  a  wonder.  She  kept  the  maids 
in  order,  cooked  well,  and  gave  no  trouble. 

Arnold  Bassett,  as  in  duty  bound,  was  making  gallant 
efforts  to  draw  one  of  the  daughters  into  conversation.  He 
found  it  practically  impossible,  because  she  was  listening, 
absorbed,  to  Camiola's  account  of  Frau  Esler. 


202  ACASTLETOLET 

j  "And  the  young  man !  They  say  he  is  none  too  steady," 
went  on  the  elder  sister,  craning  her  scraggy  neck  towards 
Camiola.  "But,  however,  he  is  in  the  garden,  so  you  will 
not  have  much  to  do  with  him.  My  father  thought  it 
would  be  all  right." 

"Do  you  mean  Eric  Esler  ?"  asked  Camiola  in  astonish- 
ment. 

Three  old  heads  nodded  in  unison,  and  three  voice  re- 
iterated "Ja,  ja,  ja,"  till  Conrad  had  to  turn  away  to  the 
window,  with  shoulders  shaking. 

I  "We  find  him  most  helpful  and  obliging,"  said  Miss 
France,  in  wonder.  "Do  you  say  he  is  not  steady?  I 
should  have  thought  him  a  most  respectable,  quiet  young 
fellow." 

"Ach  ja!  Our  father  said  it  would  be  so.  He  said  he 
will  not  show  off  his  airs  and  graces  to  the  Herrschaften. 
He  knows  which  side  his  bread  is  buttered." 

This  remark  struck  Camiola  as  being  so  conspicuously 
unjust,  judging  the  young  gardener  by  her  own  experi- 
ence, that  she  merely  smiled. 

Bassett,  having  abandoned  his  attempt  to  ingratiate  the 
ladies  of  the  house,  had  gone  to  one  of  the  window  em- 
brasures, and  was  talking  with  the  old  Graf. 

"Maj  I  ask  if  you,  sir,  are  the  guardian  of  the  so 
amiable  Fraulein  France?"  asked  the  old  gentleman. 

The  K.C.,  glad  of  this  opportunity,  proceeded  to  ex- 
plain that  the  Fraulein  was  quite  exempt  from  all  tutelage, 
and  that  he  had  laid  down  his  command  when  she  was 
twenty-one. 

"To  whom,  then,  should  one  apply  in  any  matter  which 
concerned — which  concerned  negotiations  of  too  delicate 
a  nature  to  make  it  practicable  to  discuss  them  with  a 
young  maiden?  To  the  excellent  Fraulein  Purdon,  per- 
haps?" 

Bassett  explained  Miss  Purdon's  position,  and  the  old 


A   PROJECTED   ALLIANCE       203 

Graf  was  a  little  worried.  "So  also  Otho  told  me,"  he 
said,  in  a  vexed  way.  "He  sai,d  she  was  only  a  dame  de 
compagnie,  and  that  it  was  not  fitting  that  I  should  lead 
her  upstairs.  He  said  I  should  have  taken  the  Fraulein, 
who  is  mistress  of  all.  IN'ow  I  have  made  a  mistake,  and 
perhaps  I  have  done  great  harm.  Do  you  think  that  Meess 
France  will  take  offence,  because  I  give  first  place  to  the 
dwme  de  compagnie?"  1 

Bassett  spoke  on  this  point  with  brief  but  firm  emphasis. 
The  Graf  had  done  right,  and  exactly  what  Camiola  would 
have  wished. 

"But  I  must  go  change  the  places  at  table,"  fussed  the 
little  Graf,  his  hair  seeming  to  stand  more  erect  than  ever. 

"Nothing  of  the  kind,  Graf.    Miss  Purdon  is  a  gentle-  ( 
woman,  and  always  takes  her  place  in  Miss  France's  house- 
hold as  such.    To  slight  her  would  be  a  sure  way  to  offend 
the  young  lady." 

"I  would  not  do  so  on  any  account.  But  if  such  is  the 
case,  what  is  to  be  done  ?  One  cannot  approach  a  young 
lady  direct  on  so  delicate  a  subject  as  her  own  marriagej'3' 

"Well,  Graf,  you  may  have  heard  that  in  England  we 
are  so  peculiar  as  to  think  that  a  young  lady's  marriage 
concerns  herself  more  than  anybody  else.  We  actually 
hold  that  a  girl  who  is  of  an  age  to  be  married,  is  of  an 
age  to  consider  the  question." 

The  Graf  looked  horrified.  "Do  you  mean  that  I  could 
address  the  young  Meess  France,  and  say:  I  wish  to  con- 
fer with  you  on  the  subject  of  your  marriage  with  my 
nephew  ?" 

"Oh,  no;  I  do  not  mean  that.  You  are  going  rather 
fast,  Graf,  for  my  English  ideas.  Are  you  sure  that 
Captain  von  Courland  desires  to  marry  my  late  ward? 
If  you  are,  you  must  leave  it  to  him  to  do  the  arranging. 
It  may  sound  nonsense  to  you,  but  it  is  the  simple  fact, 
that  Miss  France  will  give  her  hand  to  the  man  she  pre- 


204  ACASTLETOLET 

fers,  and  that  she  will  expect  that  man  to  ask  her  for  it 
himself." 

It  was  a  situation  which  left  the  Graf  so  astounded 
that  he  had  really  nothing  to  reply.  Bassett,  however, 
improved  the  occasion.  He  told  him  that  in  England  it 
was  considered  very  bad  form  to  seem  to  notice  anything 
beforehand  in  a  situation  of  this  kind.  He  warned  him 
that  if  any  reference  were  made  at  table  or  in  drinking 
toasts  to  the  chance  of  any  such  thing,  Camiola  would 
most  p&obably  take  offence,  and  nip  the  affair  in  the  bud. 
In  England  the  relations  and  onlookers  always  affected 
to  see  nothing  and  know  nothing.  By  the  way  in  which 
the  Graf  listened  to  what  he  had  to  say,  and  the  swiftness 
with  which  he  subsequently  went  up  to  his  wife  and  spoke 
privately  to  her,  Bassett  concluded  that  he  had  reason  to 
thank  his  stars  for  the  chance  he  had  been  given  to  warn 
the  poor  old  gentleman.  He  felt  sure  that  some  allusion 
to  the  idea  of  a  match  had  been  contemplated.  He  dared 
not  think  what  Camiola  might  have  done  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. 

What  she  was  trying  to  do  at  the  present  moment  was 
to  avoid  catching  the  eye  either  of  Otho  or  Conrad.  The 
conversation  she  had  so  arduously  kept  up  with  the  three 
ladies  had  languished,  and  she  was  wondering  what  she 
could  possibly  say  next,  when  the  Grafin  remarked  softly : 

"You  have  a  charming  party  of  young  people,  Frau- 
lein." 

Camiola  said  that  she  thought  it  most  kind  of  the  Grafin 
to  entertain  such  a  formidable  number. 

"But  they  are  such  a  charming  party,"  cooed  Aunt 
Linda. 

"All  such  attractive  young  people,"  concluded  Aunt 
Anna. 

The  faithfulness  of  their  nephew's  imitation  that  morn- 
ing caused  Camiola  to  be  nearer  the  point  of  losing  her 


A    PROJECTED    ALLIANCE        205 

manners  altogether,  and  laughing  aloud,  than  she  had 
ever  been  in  her  life.  The  situation  was  saved  only  by 
the  appearance  of  the  head  waiter  from  the  Blaue  Vb'gel, 
who  drew  back  a  curtain,  set  open  a  narrow  door,  and 
announced  that  dinner  was  served. 

The  room  in  which  they  dined  was  exactly  the  same 
size  and  shape  as  that  in  which  they  had  been  received. 
It  was  close  quarters,  and  of  course  neither  of  the  small, 
deeply  splayed  windows  was  open.  Looking  back  upon 
that  meal  later  on,  Camiola  sometimes  wondered  th  t  they 
had  all  escaped  asphyxiation. 

They  were  called  upon  to  eat  hot  soup,  venison,  cran- 
berries, roast  ducks,  and  other  viands  of  an  equally  sub- 
stantial description.  It  was  no  wonder  that,  having  fed 
to  repletion,  the  three  old  ladies  should  obviously  desire 
a  nap.  The  rest  of  the  party  hailed  with  joy  the  sugges- 
tion of  Otho  that  they  should  go  and  have  cigarettes  and 
sweetmeats  in  the  guard-house,  and  summon  old  Johanna, 
the  family  retainer,  to  tell  them  "bogey  stories." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  PROPHECY   OF   EPHROSINE 

THE  guard-house  stood  behind  the  keep,  across  a  very 
small  courtyard  which  was  bounded  by  what  remained  of 
the  huge  inner  or  curtain  wall  of  the  old  fortress.  Within, 
it  was  a  rough  place,  stone  paved,  and  without  hangings 
to  mask  the  naked  walls;  but  Otho  had  done  his  best  to 
make  it  habitable.  There  were  weapons  hung  up,  some 
fine  stags'  heads,  a  stuffed  badger,  and  other  signs  of  his 
hunting  prowess.  Rugs  were  on  the  floor,  and  there  were 
comfortable  chairs. 

"There  is  no  room  at  all  inside  the  tower,"  he  said, 
shrugging  his  shoulders  ruefully.  "This  is  the  only  place 
I  can  call  my  own,  and  I  sleep  in  the  cell  just  above." 

His  frank  way  of  speaking  caused  Camiola  to  look  upon 
him  with  a  new  access  of  friendliness.  He  really  was  a 
very  nice  fellow. 

As  he  was  the  only  member  of  the  family  present,  they 
were  all  as  unconstrained  as  though  at  Orenfels.  Betty 
discovered  a  beautiful  mother  cat  with  two  kittens  in  a 
cupboard,  and  took  the  entire  family  upon  her  knees  to 
play  with.  Camiola  looked  at  Otho's  regimental  photos, 
and  discovered  that  he  was  the  champion  jumper  of  his 
regiment.  The  men  smoked,  and  Conrad  was  made  happy 
with  an  oily  rag  and  a  gun  to  clean. 

Soon  there  was  a  tap  at  the  door,  and  a  small,  bent 
woman  crept  into  the  room,  curtseyed  to  the  company, 
and  looked  to  Otho  for  orders.  Her  sunken  but  brilliant 
eyes,  half  lowered,  flitted  from  one  to  the  other  of  those 

206 


THE    PROPHECY    OF    EPHROSINE207 

present  until  they  rested  upon  Camiola  with  the  same  wist- 
ful intentness  which  had  drawn  the  girl's  gaze  upon  her 
first  arrival  in  Ildestadt.  Miss  France  felt  a  sudden 
beating  of  the  heart,  accompanied  by  a  curious  sensation 
as  though  invisible  threads  or  cords  surrounded  her.  She 
took  a  deep  breath,  and  had  almost  raised  her  hand  to 
her  forehead  to  brush  away  the  floating  films.  She  was 
glad  when  the  odd  silence  caused  by  the  old  woman's 
entry  was  broken  by  Otho's  gay  voice. 

"Come  along,  Miitterchen,"  he  cried.  "Sit  down  on 
this  stool.  We  want  you  to  make  the  company's  flesh 
creep  with  one  of  your  awful  stories." 

"About  the  skeletons  they  found  in  Otho's  room,"  put 
in  Conrad,  in  breathless  excitement. 

"Yes,  and  that  will  mean  my  sitting  beside  you  to- 
night, and  holding  your  hand  until  you  are  asleep,"  re- 
marked Camiola  cruelly. 

"Rot,  'Miola!"  cried  the  slandered  boy,  crimson. 

"Xever  mind,  Conrad  will  have  to  get  over  it,"  said 
Otho  calmly.  He  had  not  much  sympathy  with  nerves, 
as  far  as  healthy  boys  are  concerned. 

"If  I  tell  you  of  the  Prophecy  of  Ephrosine,  the  skele- 
tons come  into  that  story,"  announced  the  old  woman, 
laying  her  brown,  wrinkled  hands  upon  her  knees.  She 
glanced  again  at  Camiola.  "It  is  all  written  in  the  Town 
Records,"  she  remarked  softly.  "There  is  no  escape  from 
that."  She  moistened  her  lips,  and  went  on:  "I  will 
speak  very  slowly,  that  the  ladies  from  England  may 
understand." 

"I'll  interpret,  if  you  don't,"  Bassett  promised  the 
Thurlows. 

"In  the  year  1611,"  began  Johanna,  "the  old  lord  of 
Orenfels,  which,  then,  was  called  Yndaia,  had  two  sons. 
In  those  days,  you  understand,  the  family  lived  at  Oren- 
fels all  the  summer,  but  in  winter  they  usually  came  here 


208  ACASTLETOLET 

to  the  tower.  They  used  both  houses  as  their  own.  The 
names  of  the  young  men  were  Otho  and  Dmitri,  Otho 
being  the  elder. 

'  "Halfway  down  the  hill  from  Orenfels,  on  the  very 
spot — the  cursed  spot — where  the  Kurhaus  was  afterwards 
built — you  would  see  in  those  days  the  house  of  Cornea, 
the  gamekeeper,  a  Roumanian.  He  had  a  daughter, 
named  Ephrosine.  She  was  not  so  much  beautiful  as 
wonderful.  Her  mother  had  been  a  Tzigane  (gipsy), 
and  was  handsome,  but  Ephrosine  was  more.  She  had  a 
glance  that  sent  men  mad.  There  was  one  man  upon 
whom  her  heart  was  set,  and  that  was  Otho,  the  young 
Herr.  She  laughed  at  all  the  others. 

"Otho  was  young  and  hasty.  All  his  life  he  had  always 
had  what  he  had  set  his  heart  upon.  He  was  determined 
to  marry  Ephrosine,  and  marry  her  he  did.  How  they 
managed  it  is  not  known. 

"Ephrosine  still  lived  on  in  her  father's  cottage,  for 
the  old  lord  would  have  killed  his  son  had  he  dared  to 
confess  that  he  was  married  to  a  peasant. 

"Two  beautiful  boys  were  born  to  her,  and  it  was  not 
known  that  they  were  hers,  for  her  married  brother  and 
his  wife  lived  in  the  hunting  lodge,  and  every  one  sup- 
posed the  boys  belonged  to  them.  For  several  years 
Ephrosine  kept  quiet.  Her  husband  loved  her,  she  saw 
him  often,  if  secretly,  and  she  was  not  unhappy.  But 
when  it  was  a  question  of  a  marriage  for  Otho,  she  would 
not  be  silent  any  longer.  He  warned  her  that  if  she  con- 
fessed, they  would  be  both  ruined ;  but  she  was  not  to  be 
deterred.  She  waited  until  her  husband  departed,  on  a 
visit  to  the  lady  whom  he  was  to  court ;  then  she  took  her 
two  children,  went  up  to  the  castle,  and  told  the  old  lord 
to  his  face  that  she  was  his  son's  wife,  and  these  were  his 
heirs. 

"Now  at  the  time  Dmitri,  the  younger  son,  was  pres- 


THE    PROPHECY   OF    EPHROSINE  209 

ent.  He  was  full  of  cunning.  He  restrained  his  father's 
anger,  and  by  his  advice  the  old  lord  said  very  little,  but 
took  it  so  quietly  that  Ephrosine  was  in  triumph,  and 
wished  she  had  had  the  courage  to  confess  long  ago. 

"The  old  lord  said  that  if  these  children  were  his  heirs, 
they  must  be  put  into  his  charge,  to  be  brought  up  as  a 
nobleman's  sons  should  be  trained.  She  was  ready  and 
willing  to  do  this,  and  to  go  back  to  her  own  home  alone, 
as  he  desired  her  to  do,  until  he  should  have  ascertained 
beyond  doubt  that  her  story  of  the  marriage  was  true. 

"So  she  left  her  babes  up  at  the  castle  and  went  home, 
and  the  old  lord  and  Dmitri  plotted  their  scheme  of  re- 
venge. 

"In  those  days,  as  you  know,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  any 
person  who  was  accused  of  being  a  witch  was  in  great 
danger.  Two  days  after  Ephrosine  took  her  boys  to  the 
castle  she  was  arrested  for  witchcraft,  on  the  complaint 
of  one  Niklaus  Urzsu,  a  ploughman  from  Maros,  who  had 
been  one  of  her  disappointed  suitors. 

"I  think  I  told  you  that  she  was  of  a  wild  kind  of 
beauty.  When  she  was  excited,  it  is  said  that  she  was  like 
one  possessed  by  a  devil.  You  may  think  how  she  raged 
and  fought  when  she  was  dragged  to  prison.  Her  gipsy 
blood  was  against  her  in  the  eyes  of  the  people.  They 
were  obliged  to  do  things  quickly,  if  they  wished  all  to  be 
over  before  the  young  Herr  Otho  returned.  It  was  easily 
managed.  Several  witnesses  swore  that  the  poor  thing 
had  bewitched  them,  and  the  townsfolk  went  mad  with 
fear,  and  were  ready  and  eager  to  have  her  burned.  It 
was  never  mentioned  that  she  claimed  to  be  the  wife  of 
Otho  and  the  mother  of  his  sons. 

"The  family  came  down  to  Ildesta$t  from  the  Schloss 
for  the  trial.  She  was  condemned  and  she  was  actually 
burned  alive,  out  in  the  Market  Square  yonder,  just  be- 
fore the  place  where  the  Ikon  of  St.  Ildemund  stands. 


210  ACASTLETOLET 

It  is  said  that  the  old  lord  took  the  torch,  and  lit  the  pile 
that  burned  her,  and  that  he  stood  there  and  watched  her 
torments.  As  to  her  two  children,  they  were  never  seen 
or  heard  of  after  that.  .  .  .  Until " 

"Until,"  burst  in  Conrad,  "the  Erau  Grafin  made  them 
unwall  the  old  cupboard,  as  you  told  us  this  morning, 
Otho !" 

Otho  was  looking  rather  white.  "I  never  heard  that 
story  before,"  he  said  to  the  old  woman.  "It  is  certainly 
bad  enough  for  anything.  I  did  not  know  that  there  was 
any  story  that  would  throw  light  on  the  dead  children." 

"What  did  her  husband  say  when  he  came  back  ?"  cried 
Betty,  leaning  forward,  pale  with  eagerness. 

"He  killed  his  brother,"  replied  the  old  woman,  shaking 
her  head.  "I  do  not  mean  that  he  murdered  him ;  he  was 
too  brave  a  gentleman  for  that.  He  challenged  him  to 
fight,  and  gave  him  a  chance  for  his  life ;  but  Dmitri  was 
cowed  by  the  knowledge  that  he  was  fighting  in  a  bad 
cause.  The  elder  brother  slew  the  younger,  out  here  in 
this  little  courtyard,  one  moonlight  night.  He  was  obliged 
to  flee  the  country,  and  he  died  unmarried,  being  slain  in 
the  Thirty  Years'  War.  His  sister's  son  inherited,  and 
since  that  there  has  never  been  an  heir  in  the  direct  line, 
as  it  is  said  that  Ephrosine  prophesied,  while  she  stood  in 
the  flames  in  the  Market  Square." 

"If  that  is  all  really  true,  Johanna,  I  think  the  breed 
of  the  Vajda-Maros  ought  to  be  exterminated,"  cried 
Otho,  flinging  the  stump  of  his  cigar  in  among  the  flow- 
ering geraniums  with  which  he  had  filled  his  open  hearth. 

"They  have  paid  for  it  long  and  bitterly,  dearie,"  said 
the  old  woman  gently.  "Please  God,  better  times  are 
coming." 

"It  is  really  true1?"  inquired  Bassett  briefly. 

Johanna  turned  her  keen  eyes  upon  him.  "The  trial 
and  death  of  Ephrosine  are  all  to  be  found  in  the  city  rec- 


THE   PROPHECY   OF   EPHROSINE211 

ords,"  said  she.  "You  will  not  find  there  any  proof  that 
she  was  what  she  claimed  to  he — the  wife  of  Otho  Vajda- 
Maros ;  but  that  she  was  the  mother  of  his  children  seems 
to  be  established  bj  two  things — first  by  the  terrible  ven- 
geance which  Otho  took  upon  his  brother  on  his  return, 
and,  second,  by  the  children's  bones  found  only  a  few 
years  back." 

Miss  Purdon  spoke  suddenly.  She  had  risen  when  the 
story  finished,  and  was  standing  with  her  back  to  them 
all,  gazing  out  of  the  window.  She  now  spoke  without 
turning  round :  "It  is  true  that  the  old  lord  lit  the  torch 
and  watched  her  burn,"  said  she.  "I  saw  all  that  in  a 
vision.  I  also  saw  them  carry  out  the  dead  body  of 
Dmitri.  They  carried  it  towards  the  river." 

"Did  they  ?"  cried  the  old  woman,  quivering  with  eager- 
ness. She  got  up  from  the  wooden  stool  upon  which  she 
had  reluctantly  seated  herself  at  her  young  lord's  com- 
mand, and  approached  Miss  Purdon  with  hands  out- 
stretched. "That  is  what  nobody  has  fever  known,"  she 
quavered,  "what  they  did  with  the  body." 

Camiola  put  her  arm  round  Conrad's  shoulders.  "Do 
you  think,"  she  whispered,  leaning  towards  Otho,  "that  he 
ought  to  hear  all  this  ?" 

"Come  on  up  into  my  room,  old  man,  and  see  the  cup- 
board," said  Otho  at  once.  "The  cupboard  where  they 
found  the  poor  little  bones.  It  is  full  of  my  coats  now." 

Everybody  else  clamoured  to  see  also,  and  Otho  laugh- 
ingly said  they  had  better  come  up  two  and  two,  as  his 
room  was  monastic  in  its  proportions. 

Camiola  and  Conrad  went  up  first.  The  little  cork- 
screw stair  was  very  narrow,  and  the  room  into  which  it 
led  was  about  twelve  feet  square.  There  was  a  camp  bed, 
and  the  bare  necessaries  of  a  man's  toilet.  The  cupboard 
had  been  lined  with  wood,  and  looked  most  commonplace 
and  everyday.  The  window  had  an  outlook  above  the 


212  ACASTLETOLET 

walls  to  the  Castle  of  Orenfels — a  fact  to  which  Otho 
drew  the  girl's  attention  before  they  went  down  again. 

Miss  Purdon  and  old  Johanna  were  meanwhile  confer- 
ring eagerly,  the  servant  being  inclined  to  look  upon  the 
Irish  lady  as  a  white  witch.  Camiola  said  no  word  of  the 
dream  concerning  the  Black  Dragon  which  had  visited 
her.  She  had  kept  that  consistently  to  herself. 

Johanna  said  that  the  whole  of  Ephrosine's  prophecy, 
uttered  in  her  agony,  was  recorded  in  the  town  chronicles. 
It  explicitly  stated  that  the  curse  was  to  endure  for  ten 
generations,  that  the  Orenfels  estate  should  pass  into  the 
hands  of  the  foreigner  and  the  stranger,  that  the  family 
blood  should  mix  with  the  blood  of  aliens,  and  that  the 
Vajda-Maros  who  should  do  away  the  curse,  and  whose 
children  should  inherit,  would  be  a  dragon-slayer,  brave 
and  fair. 

Miss  Purdon  could  not  but  see  how  well  this  descrip- 
tion might  be  said  to  fit  Otho.  The  old  woman  pointed 
out  that  it  was  <iiot  likely  that  he  would  actually  slay  a 
dragon,  but  that  the  prophecy  no  doubt  referred  to  the 
very  curious  fact  that  Otho's  mother,  who  knew  nothing 
of  the  prediction,  had  given  her  little  son,  as  his  second 
name,  that  of  the  patron  saint  of  the  family — Ildemund, 
the  dragon-slayer. 

"Yes,  he  is  Otho  Ildemund,  Otho  the  dragon-slayer," 
said  the  old  woman  in  a  tone  of  quiet  triumph  and  satis- 
faction. "If  we  do  not  say  too  much,  if  we  are  quiet 
and  let  things  take  their  course,  who  shall  say  what  may 
happen  ?" 

These  last  words  were  murmured  softly  and  confiden- 
tially after  Camiola,  who  had  heard  the  first  part  of  what 
was  said,  had  turned  away. 

There  was  little  time  to  reflect  upon  the  marvels  they 
had  just  heard,  for  a  messenger  now  arrived  to  announce 
that  the  coffee-drinking  company  was  assembling. 


THE    PROPHECY    OF    EPHROSINE213 

They  repaired  to  the  reception-room  accordingly,  and 
found  that  the  door  between  this  and  the  eating-room  had 
been  set  wide,  that  coffee  was  served  in  the  latter,  and  that 
by  this  means  the  extra  persons  present  could  be  accom- 
modated with  a  little  crowding. 

The  von  Arnsteins,  the  von  Glucksbergs,  and  the  von 
Imberts  were  duly  presented,  the  men  in  uniform ;  and  a 
few  unmarried  subalterns  completed  the  circle. 

There  was  much  civility  and  many  compliments.  Cami- 
ola  was  highly  congratulated  upon  her  German,  and  re- 
ceived great  attention;  but  the  universal  opinion  of  the 
company  was  that  Betty,  plump,  fair  and  dimpled,  was 
the  pretty  one,  and  that  it  was  a  pity  she  was  not  also  the 
heiress.  Camiola's  soulful  type  was  not  approved. 

As  the  Orenfels  party  wound  their  way  once  more  uphill 
to  their  eyrie,  as  Xeville  called  it,  that  evening,  the  sub- 
ject occupying  them  all  was  that  of  Mizpah's  visions.  Bas- 
sett  was  seriously  of  opinion  that  they  ought  to  be  written 
down  and  sent  to  the  S.P.R. 

Camiola  volunteered  to  make  a  written  statement,  as  she 
had  heard  the  dreams  from  the  dreamer  herself  long  before 
she  knew  that  they  were  reproductions  of  something  which 
had  actually  happened. 

Conrad  was  less  impressed  than  his  sister  had  feared. 
The  happy  fact  that  Otho  quietly  inhabited  the  chamber 
where  the  bones  had  been  discovered  had  somehow  dis- 
counted the  importance  of  the  whole  thing  in  his  boyish 
imagination. 

Camiola,  as  she  rode  up  the  slope  to  her  castle,  was 
thinking  to  herself  that  she  would  ask  Esler  to  slip  up  to 
the  boy  after  he  was  in  bed,  to  be  quite  sure  that  he  was 
comfortably  asleep. 

Esler  was  not  to  be  seen,  however,  when  they  arrived. 
The  boy  who  was  groom  under  Erwald  came  and  took  the 
mules.  There  was  barely  time  to  change  before  the  dinner 


214  ACASTLETOLET 

horn  sounded;  and  it  was  with  a  perceptible  shock  that 
Camiola,  coming  downstairs  on  Bassett's  arm,  found  that 
a  plump  handmaiden  stood  beside  Forbes  at  the  buffet  in- 
stead of  the  usual  picturesque  figure. 

Afterwards,  as  the  butler  handed  coffee  in  the  drawing- 
room,  she  asked  if  Esler  was  ill. 

"I  believe  he  is  not  very  well,  madam,"  replied  the 
old  butler  impassively. 

"Find  out  if  he  needs  anything  or  ought  to  have  a  doc- 
tor/' commanded  the  young  mistress,  and  Forbes  replied, 
"Yes,  madam,"  in  exactly  the  same  voice. 

The  next  day  was  extremely  hot,  and  the  party  decided 
that  they  were  going  to  loaf  and  play  tennis.  Everybody 
was  lazy,  and  the  hours  drifted  by  on  wings  of  sunshine 
and  peace. 

Otho's  absence  made  things  a  little  dull,  perhaps.  He 
was  always  the  life  of  the  party,  Seville  not  being  con- 
spicuous for  high  spirits.  Camiola  was  certainly  moody 
and  abstracted,  and  -Miss  Purdon  and  Bassett  looked  mean- 
ingly at  each  other  as  this  symptom  developed.  The  lady 
felt  glad,  in  this  puzzling  situation,  that  the  ex-guardian 
should  be  on  the  spot.  She  felt  slightly  guilty  when  she 
thought  of  the  wrath  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thurlow  should 
the  golden  prize  really  fall  to  the  young  officer.  Yet, 
after  all,  what  could  they  do  ?  Nothing  at  all.  Camiola 
was  her  own  mistress. 

Irmgard  remarked  to  Miss  Purdon  that  afternoon: 

"Isn't  'Miola  queer?  I  mean,  somehow,  unlike  her- 
self? Brooding  or  something.  Do  you  think  it  can  be 
that  she  misses  Captain  von  Courland  ?  I  thought  yester- 
day that  the  old  people  were  very  sugary,  and  so  on.  I 
don't  think  I  want  'Miola  to  be  married  yet." 

"My  dear,"  said  Miss  Purdon,  "I  don't  suppose  either 
you  or  I  can  stop  it,  but  if  you  think  you  have  any  influ- 


THE    PROPHECY    OF    EPHROSINE215 

ence,  I  beg  of  you  to  use  it.  This  curious  fancy  for  an 
old  castle  will  pass  over.  A  young  girl  who  finds  herself 
suddenly  in  command  of  great  wealth  is  sure  to  be  a  bit 
freakish  at  first.  But  very  soon  her  present  passion  for 
ultima  Thule  will  be  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  I  should  be 
very  sorry  if  she  were  to  be  entangled  in  any  disagreeable 
consequences." 

Irmgard  laughed.  "The  Captain  is  a  nice  fellow,"  she 
remarked  meditatively,  "but  his  family!  Think  of  hav- 
ing Cousin  Anna  and  Cousin  Linda  for  one's  nearest 
kin !"  She  broke  off  with  a  little  sigh.  "I  don't  know  if 
I  dare  say  anything,"  she^  said,  "for  since  I  came  up  here 
'Hiola  seems  somehow  different.  She  has  shut  up.  I 
can't  describe  it,  but  I  used  to  feel  as  if  she  were  a  maze, 
but  I  knew  the  way  in.  I  was  in  the  centre,  but  now  I 
am  wandering  about  the  outer  circles." 

"I  know  what  you  mean,"  replied  Mizpah.  "I  too 
have  noticed  it.  I  think,  if  I  were  you,  I  would  make  an 
effort  to  find  your  way  back  again.  Mental  isolation  is 
not  good  for  Camiola." 

All  that  day  Irmgard  watched,  but  Camiola  was  never 
to  be  entrapped.  After  tea  Neville  persuaded  the  girl  to 
go  for  a  stroll  with  him  up  the  Alp  and  into  the  birch- 
wood.  In  the  glamour  of  that  stroll  Irmgard  lost  all 
memory  of  Camiola's  affairs. 

Nothing  was  said.  It  was  what  was  left  unsaid  that  was 
so  strangely  sweet 


THE  MIDNIGHT  ERRAND 

THAT  night  was  very  hot — much  hotter  than  they  had 
so  far  found  it  at  Orenfels.  Not  a  breath  of  air  stirred, 
and  the  waxing  moon  passed  slowly  across  a  cloudless 
heaven. 

Camiola  was  in  a  difficult  mood.  She  could  not  under- 
stand herself. 

Surely  it  could  not  be  true  that  she  was  actually  pining 
for  the  society  of  young  von  Courland  ? 

That  sounded  preposterous,  she  whose  night's  rest  had 
never  yet  been  broken  on  account  of  any  son  of  Adam. 

Yet  if  it  were  not  that,  what  could  it  be  which  pos- 
sessed her  with  so  strange  a  restlessness  ? 

Of  course  it  might  be  the  heat.  Her  room,  facing  upon 
the  south  terrace,  had  been  very  hot  all  day,  since  such 
luxuries  as  sun-blinds  were  unknown  in  her  ancient  dwell- 
ing-place. 

Her  thoughts  turned  naturally  to  Otho,  for  what  had 
happened  the  previous  day  at  the  Watch  Tower  had  con- 
vinced her  that  the  Vajda-Maros  hoped  and  foresaw  a 
match.  She  must  have  been  dull  indeed  had  she  not  di- 
vined it.  The  circumstance  obliged  her  to  think.  It  was 
necessary  to  make  up  her  mind,  because  if  she  did  not- 
mean  to  marry  an  impecunious  noble  in  a  regiment  of 
Honved  Hussars,  then  their  pleasant  intimacy  must  cease 
at  once.  It  seemed  to  her  a  great  pity.  In  England  these 
things  are  left  to  chance,  and  often  enough  this  turns  out 
badly.  But  she  thought  it  immensely  preferable  to  the 

216 


THE    MIDNIGHT    ERRAND        217 

foreign  idea  that  there  can  be  no  easy  intercourse  be- 
tween young  people  unless  a  marriage  is  contemplated. 

Her  bed  was  unbearably  hot.  Sighing  over  the  excep- 
tional heat,  she  wondered  if  that  was  what  had  affected 
young  Esler.  He  had  not  appeared  at  all  that  day,  but 
Forbes  had  told  her  that  he  was  all  right,  and  that  he 
begged  the  Fraulein  would  not  disquiet  herself  on  his 
account. 

She  felt  much  inclined  to  arise,  put  on  some  clothes, 
and  slip,  by  way  of  the  secret  stair,  down  into  the  garden. 
She  had  just  sprung  up,  with  intention  to  carry  out  this 
design,  when  she  remembered  that  the  garden  cave  was 
always  kept  locked. 

With  a  sigh  of  disappointment,  she  flung  down  the 
stocking  she  had  caught  up,  took  a  thin  silk  kimono, 
slipped  it  on,  and  strolled  to  the  window.  Right  across 
the  oriel  stood  one  of  the  large,  heavy  sofas  which  are  to 
be  found  all  over  the  country  in  any  room  in  any  old- 
fashioned  house.  She  had  been  lying  upon  it  that  after- 
noon, reading.  Now  she  fancied  that  it  would  be  cooler 
here,  with  all  the  casements  flung  wide,  than  in  her  bed. 

She  fetched  a  coverlet  and  her  pillow  and  lay  down. 

Her  thoughts,  however,  continued  so  active  that  she  was 
still  wide  awake  when,  about  half  an  hour  later,  she  heard 
a  sound  outside  in  the  garden,  a  step,  crunching  the  gravel. 

In  a  moment  she  had  started  erect,  and  she  was  in 
time  to  see  Esler  come  round  the  corner  of  the  building 
and  emerge  into  the  moonlight,  which  now  flooded  the 
terrace.  He  was  bareheaded,  and  wore  only  a  shirt  and 
knee  breeches,  with  the  thick  stockings  and  square-toed 
shoes  of  the  country.  He  came  along  so  swiftly  that  at 
first  she  thought  he  must  be  pursued.  Running  lightly 
and  fast,  with  even  pace,  he  reached  the  flight  of  steps 
leading  down  to  the  bowling  green,  cleared  them  at  a 
bound,  and  fled  on  down  the  hill,  disappearing  from  view 


218  ACASTLETOLET 

very  soon  owing  to  the  steepness  of  the  slope  down  which 
he  was  rushing.  She  could  perceive  only  that  he  was  not 
following  the  curved  path,  but  leaping  through  flower-beds 
and  over  boulders,  going,  as  directly  as  he  could,  straight 
down  to  the  end  of  the  garden. 

This  seemed  to  her  very  surprising.  Esler,  who  had 
been  unwell — too  unwell  to  do  any  work — for  two  days, 
was  running  out  of  the  house  as  though  his  life  depended 
upon  it.  Where  was  he  going  and  what  was  he  about? 
She  wondered  whether  he  had  had  a  touch  of  the  sun  and 
was  slightly  deranged.  It  was  so  impossible  to  guess  any 
reason  for  his  headlong  flight. 

What  Neville  had  said  of  his  running,  on  the  day  that 
Conrad  was  lost,  came  back  to  her.  "He  runs  like  an 
English  public-school  man."  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he 
ran  like  a  conscript  from  the  Austrian  Navy! 

She  flung  herself  back  upon  her  pillows  in  complete 
bewilderment,  but  with  an  intention  to  watch  and  see  if 
he  would  return. 

She  settled  herself  cosily,  her  face  turned  to  the  win- 
dow, feeling  extraordinarily  wide  awake.  But  in  a  very 
few  minutes  Nature  asserted  her  authority,  the  lids 
drooped  over  those  wondering  eyes,  and  Camiola  slept  the 
sleep  of  healthy  girlhood. 

It  was  with  a  start  that  she  awoke,  to  the  conscious- 
ness of  early  dawn.  The  light  outside  was  hardly  brighter 
than  the  moon  had  made  it,  but  of  a  different  quality. 
The  air  was  full  of  the  twitternig  of  countless  birds,  and 
she  had  been  awakened  by  the  fact  that  a  pretty  little 
chaffinch  had  alighted  upon  her  window-sill,  and  was  ut- 
tering his  long-drawn  whistle  like  a  call  to  rise. 

As  she  stretched  out  her  arms,  he  fluttered  away,  but 
not  very  far,  only  upon  the  banksia  rose,  where  he  bal- 
anced himself  and  sang  so  jubilantly  that  she  felt  con- 


THE    MIDNIGHT    ERRAND        219 

vinced  his  wife  must  have  hatched  a  second  brood  that 
very  morning. 

Sitting  up,  she  rubbed  her  sleepy  eyes  and  admired 
the  faint  opal  of  the  misty  sky.  It  was  like  looking  at  a 
fire  through  a  mother-o'-pearl  shell — infinitely  beautiful. 

A  sofa  is  apt  to  cramp  one  after  sleeping  several  hours, 
so  she  arose  and  took  a  turn  about  the  room.  She  was 
vexed  with  herself  for  falling  so  soundly  asleep,  and  so 
missing  Esler's  return  from  his  run,  and  was  wishing  she 
had  kept  awake,  when  a  sound  struck  on  her  ear  so  unex- 
pected that  she  stood  motionless  a  moment,  then  glided, 
stooping,  to  the  open  casement. 

She  had  heard  somebody  speaking  in  the  dim  garden 
below. 

Kneeling  upon  the  floor  of  her  room,  sheltered  by  a 
muslin  curtain,  she  could  see  without  being  seen.  It  was 
quite  light  enough  for  her  to  distinguish  the  figures  of 
two  men  coming  slowly  up  the  garden  path  as  though  they 
had  made  great  haste  and  were  fatigued. 

The  sound  of  their  carefully  subdued  voices  came  to 
her,  but  no  words.  Esler  she  could  easily  distinguish, 
for  his  shirt  was  white  or  light  in  colour,  and  he  wore  no 
hat.  The  other  was  in  black,  with  a  soft  felt  hat  dragged 
rather  forward  over  his  face.  As  they  approached  nearer 
she  saw  that  Esler  carried  a  bag.  Soon  after  she  per- 
ceived that  the  stranger  had  a  long  dark  beard.  It  was 
nobody  she  knew — of  that  she  felt  sure.  They  were  now 
ascending  the  steps  from  the  bowling-green.  They  had 
fallen  silent  as  they  neared  the  sleeping  house;  but  as 
they  gained  the  terrace  the  dark  man  paused  to  take  off 
his  hat  and  mop  his  forehead,  and  Esler  spoke. 

His  voice  was  low,  but  as  Camiola  was  almost  imme- 
diately above  his  head  his  words  reached  her  in  the  still- 
ness of  the  night. 

"I  could  not  bring  you  the  short  way,"  he  said,  as  if 


220  ACASTLETOLET 

apologising.  "The  Herrschaften  occupy  the  room,  at  the 
top  of  the  stair." 

"Ja,  ja"  said  the  other,  nodding  in  comprehension. 

"This  way,"  softly  added  Esler,  and  they  both  moved, 
stepping  upon  the  grass  edging  to  the  corner  of  the  wall, 
and  disappeared. 

Camiola  crept  to  her  hed  and  lay  down  in  a  flutter  of 
curiosity. 

She  felt  convinced  that  Esler  had  been  down  all  the 
way  to  Ildestadt  and  had  fetched  somebody  thence!  She 
began  to  consider  times.  By  the  mule  road  it  took  about 
an  hour  and  a  half  to  go  down  to  Ildestadt,  and  two  and 
a  quarter  for  a  man  who  was  a  good  walker  to  return. 
She  guessed  that  it  must  have  been  midnight,  or  possibly 
later,  when  she  saw  Esler  run.  It  was  now  ten  minutes 
past  three.  He  must  have  been  down  by  that  other 
shorter  road,  by  which  the  townsfolk  had  brought  supplies 
to  the  castle  in  the  days  of  the  famous  siege. 

Who  could  the  mysterious  stranger  be  ?  He,  the  invalid, 
who  had  been  unable  to  perform  his  duties  for  two  days 
past,  he  had  dashed  away  in  the  night  and  brought  back 
a  bearded  ruffian  with  a  bag — somebody  as  like  a  burglar 
as  any  description  could  paint. 

What  ought  she  to  do?  Ought  she  to  go  and  awaken 
Uncle  Arnold  and  tell  him  that  she  had  seen  a  strange 
man  brought  into  the  house  ? 

As  she  considered  the  affair  in  her  mind,  she  knew  that 
she  did  not  seriously  imagine  that  Esler  would  bring  a 
bad  character  into  the  castle.  Moreover,  if  burglary  were 
contemplated,  then  they  would  not  choose  a  moonlight 
night — a  night  in  which  it  had  never  been  dark  for  a 
single  hour,  since  dawn  and  moonset  had  almost  corre- 
sponded. Also,  they  would  have  begun  their  operations 
earlier  in  the  night.  The  burglar  idea  was  nonsense,  she 


THE    MIDNIGHT   ERRAND 

felt  convinced.  But  who  and  what  was  the  mysterious 
stranger  ? 

She  lay  considering  this  lazily,  since  she  had  decided 
that,  come  what  might,  she  was  not  going  to  awaken  the 
household.  She  had  reached  only  one  conclusion — name- 
ly, that  she  would  ask  Esler  himself  straight  out  who  it 
was — when  sleep  once  more  overtook  her,  and  she  next 
became  conscious  when  Marston  stood  pouring  tea  beside 
her  bed  with  so  calm  and  contented  an  expression  that  she 
felt  sure  no  armed  ruffian  had  made  his  wild  entry  into 
the  peaceful  life  of  the  staff. 

It  seemed  that  Bassett  and  Neville  were  both  keen 
about  going  fishing  that  day.  The  pool  which  von  Cour- 
land  had  showed  them  was  so  well  shaded  that  it  could  be 
fished  even  in  fine  weather;  and  they  thought  it  would 
be  delightful  to  go  thither  if  any  kind  persons  would 
bring  them  their  lunch. 

This  the  ladies  promised  to  do.  They  thought  it  almost 
certain  that  Otho  would  walk  up  from  Ildestadt  that  day 
to  inquire  how  they  were  after  their  day  at  the  Watch 
Tower.  Conrad  would  have  to  be  posted  on  the  main  road 
to  tell  him  where  they  might  be  found,  and  prevent  his 
going  all  the  way  up  to  the  castle  for  nothing.  Conrad 
objected.  He  wanted  to  fish.  Erwald  was  required  to 
bring  the  ladies  and  the  lunch,  so  Bassett  said  he  supposed 
they  had  better  tell  Esler  to  come  along  and  do  sentry. 

Forbes,  when  asked  to  take  a  message,  looked  doubtful, 
and  said  he  did  not  think  that  Esler  could  be  spared. 
Upon  Bassett  expressing  surprise,  Camiola  explained  that 
the  young  man  was  really  not  her  own  but  the  old  Graf's 
servant,  and  had  quite  as  much  work  as  he  could  manage 
in  the  garden.  She  added  that  she  would  speak  to  Frau 
Esler  about  it. 

She  thought,  as  the  woman  came  to  her  in  the  servants' 
hall,  where  she  usually  gave  her  orders,  that  it  might  well 


A   CASTLE    TO    LET 

be  she  and  not  her  nephew  who  had  been  ill.  She  had 
black  marks  under  her  eyes,  and  all  the  aspect  of  one  who 
has  not  slept  for  some  nights.  The  fanciful  idea  that  her 
nephew  might  have  been  doing  the  cooking  for  her  during 
the  past  two  days  floated  through  Camiola's  mind.  Per- 
haps that  was  a  cook  whom  he  had  smuggled  up  hill  last 
night ! 

"How  is  your  nephew,  Frau  Esler?"  she  asked.  The 
woman  looked  surprised,  and  answered  that  he  was  well. 

"I  thought  Forbes  said  that  he  had  been  unwell.  He 
did  not  wait  upon  us  last  night  or  the  night  before." 

Frau  Esler  answered  very  respectfully,  with  lowered 
eyes.  "I  did  not  know  the  waiting  at  table  was  part  of 
his  duties.  I  thought  he  only  undertook  it  until  Mr. 
Forbes  should  have  trained  one  of  the  maids." 

"Oh,  yes,"  hastily  cried  Camiola.  "I  do  not  mean  to 
complain  at  all.  I  was  most  grateful  to  him,  and  I  know 
it  is  not  part  of  his  duties.  I  only  asked  because  I  do  not 
want  to  seem  unkind,  and  because  the  gentlemen  wanted 
to  know  if  he  could  go  out  with  them  this  morning." 

Frau  Esler  looked  doubtful.  "I  think  not,"  said  she. 
"He  has  had  to  do  things  for  me  during  the  past  two  days 
which  have  kept  him  busy.  He  has  much  that  needs  do- 
ing in  the  garden." 

"I  will  tell  them  so,"  said  Camiola  quietly.  "You  your- 
self do  not  look  well,  Frau  Esler.  I  hope  you  are  not 
finding  the  work  too  much  for  you."  In  spite  of  her  feel- 
ing that  Frau  Esler  had  snubbed  her,  she  spoke  very 
kindly. 

"If  the  Fraulein  is  satisfied,  I  am  also,"  was  the  cold 
and  formal  answer. 

The  young  mistress  again  felt  wounded,  thrown  back 
upon  herself,  in  the  way  in  which  the  Eslers  always  made 
her  feel  it.  She  was  quite  unused  to  such  an  experience. 
Even  the  grumpy,  taciturn  Envald  had  thawed  percepti- 


THE    MIDNIGHT    ERRAND        223 

by  under  her  gentle  kindness.  Only  the  Eslers  remained 
aloof,  wrapped  in  their  proud  reserve. 

Well,  it  could  not  be  heped.  She  did  all  she  could,  and 
if  they  would  not  meet  her  they  must  remain  apart. 

"I  am  well  satisfied  with  all  you  do,"  she  replied,  swal- 
lowing down  her  mortification,  "but  I  want  you  to  promise 
me  that  you  will  ask  for  more  help  if  you  require  it.  I 
mention  this  because  the  Grafin  von  Orenfels,  when  we 
went  to  lunch  with  her,  presented  me  to  the  gentlefolk 
of  the  neighbourhood,  and  I  should  like  to  give  a  party 
here." 

"Certainly,  gnadigste.     On  what  day?" 

"I  have  not  decided.  I  wished  to  see  you  about  it  first. 
If  I  give  a  party  here,  it  is  certain  that  nobody  can  return 
home  until  the  following  day.  I  shall  want  many  rooms 
prepared." 

Frau  Esler  flushed  and  looked  alarmed.  "But  what 
rooms,  Fraulein?  There  are  only  the  one  occupied  by 
the  Herr  Captain  when  he  comes  and  the  two  small  ones 
near  your  own." 

"What  about  the  ones  we  do  not  use?"  asked  Camiola 
calmly.  "The  ones  you  reach  by  means  of  a  door  in  the 
gallery  ?" 

In  the  silence  which  followed,  Frau  Esler  being  unable 
to  help  showing  some  symptoms  of  surprise,  the  girl  could 
hear  her  own  heart  beat.  Her  random  shaft  had  gone 
home. 

"The  Herr  Graf  keeps  those  closed,"  said  the  Frau,  at 
last.  "They  are  only  garrets,  and  in  them  are  stored  such 
things  as  are  not  let  with  the  castle.  The  rooms  would 
be  quite  unsuitable  for  the  accommodation  of  visitors." 

"Of  course ;  but  we  might  go  up  there  ourselves  for  one 
night  and  put  our  guests  downstairs." 

"Even  if  you  did  use  those  rooms,  Fraulein — and  I 
assure  you  they  are  only  garrets — how  would  you  get  bed 


ACASTLETOLET 

linen,  and  so  on,  for  so  many  guests?"  She  spoke  swiftly, 
and  with  some  vexation. 

"That  is  quite  easily  managed.  I  borrowed  an  idea 
from  the  Watch  Tower.  Herr  Neumann  will  send  up 
bed  linen — beds  also  if  necessary — he  will  also  lend  me 
cutlery  and  plate  and  table  linen.  It  will  be  quite  easy. 
If  you  please,  I  should  like  to  see  the  rooms  before  I  de- 
cide against  using  them." 

Camiola  spoke  easily,  but  inwardly  she  was  filled  with 
a  queer  excitement.  The  door  which  she  had  dreamed — 
which  Esler  had  shown  her  in  sleep — really  existed,  then ! 
The  long  passage  through  which  she  had  groped,  the  un- 
ceiled  roof — these  were  real!  There  was  a  range  of 
garrets  in  her  domain  which  she  had  not  yet  explored. 

Frau  Esler  took  a  moment  to  assimilate  the  plans  pro- 
duced so  glibly  by  her  young  mistress.  At  last  she  spoke : 
"The  Fraulein  will  forgive  me  if  I  refuse,  quite  decidedly, 
to  show  her  the  garrets  without  leave  from  the  Herr 
Graf." 

"Oh,  certainly;  but  I  am  sure  he  will  grant  it,"  was 
the  ready  response.  "I  do  not  mind  paying  more  rent,  if 
he  likes.  The  Herr  Captain  is  coming  up  to-day,  and  I 
will  ask  him.  He  can  give  leave  quite  well." 

Frau  Esler  said  no  more,  but  she  flashed  a  look  almost 
of  hatred  at  Camiola.  With  a  murmured  assent,  she 
curtseyed  and  went  out  of  the  room,  leaving  the  girl  in  a 
state  of  the  greatest  indecision. 

Why  was  Frau  Esler  so  annoyed?  Could  it  be  that 
these  apparently  trusty  servants  were  doing  in  secret 
something  which  they  did  not  wish  should  come  to  the 
ears  of  their  employers?  It  really  looked  like  it.  From 
the  first  it  had  been  the  same — from  the  moment  when 
Frau  Esler  knew  the  castle  was  let  right  on  until  now. 
Every  forward  step  taken  by  the  new  mistress  met  with 
iubuff,  with  opposition. 


THE    MIDNIGHT    ERRAND        225 

She  turned  away,  sore  and  uncomfortable,  yet  trium- 
phant too,  and  remembered  suddenly  that  Bassett  and 
Nev  were  waiting  to  know  if  she  could  secure  young  Esler. 

She  ran  to  tell  them  that  this  could  not  be  managed. 
"I  don't  quite  know  what  is  the  matter,"  said  she,  "but 
something  has  upset  Frau  Esler.  I  think  she  is  ill  and 
won't  say  so,  and  that  the  young  man  is  helping  her  with 
her  work  instead  of  doing  his  own.  But  you  need  not 
bother  about  Captain  von  Courland.  Nobody  ever  comes 
up  the  mountain  except  ourselves.  Write  a  note  to  him 
and  lay  it  in  the  middle  of  the  path  under  a  stone.  He 
simply  cannot  help  finding  it." 

Every  one  agreed  that  this  was  a  good  idea,  and  the  note 
was  accordingly  written,  the  two  gentlemen  immediately 
afterwards  departing  to  their  fishing. 

Camiola  gave  orders  to  Forbes  to  prepare  lunch,  and  to 
Erwald  to  carry  it,  and  went  away  to  write  letters  in  her 
own  room  before  preparing  to  go  out  herself. 

Seated  at  her  lacquer  table  in  the  oriel,  her  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  lovely  prospect  without,  the  perfume  of  the  gar- 
den in  her  nostrils,  the  blue  haze  of  settled  summer  heat 
over  all  the  fair  land  beneath  her,  she  let  her  pen  lie  idle 
while  her  thoughts  wandered. 

Something  disquieted  her.  She  was  restless  and  suspi- 
cious. What  were  the  Eslers  about?  In  her  mind  was 
crystallising  the  resolution  to  tell  von  Courland  all  about 
it.  Their  attitude  from  the  very  first  needed  explanation. 
She  saw  that  now. 

As  her  mind  worried  itself  over  the  question,  a  gentle 
tap  came  at  her  door.    "Come  in,"  said  she. 
.   It  opened  slowly,  and  Esler  stood,  hesitating,  upon  the 
threshold. 

Camiola  flung  down  her  pen.  "Come  in  and  close  the 
door,"  said  she  swiftly;  "I  want  to  speak  to  you." 

Like  one  entering  a  holy  place  which  his  presence  dese- 


226  ACASTLETOLET 

crates,  he  obeyed  her.  She  had  never  before  seen  him 
thus  shy.  He  stared  at  the  floor,  twisting  a  key  in  his 
hands. 

His  nervousness  made  her  nervous  without  knowing 
why.  "Did  you  come  to  say  something  to  me  ?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  very  low.  He  remained  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor  about  ten  paces  from  her. 

"Well,  come  and  tell  me,"  she  encouraged  him.  "I 
can't  shout  to  you  right  across  the  room." 

He  advanced,  but  not  quite  near.  The  strong  light  of 
day  poured  upon  his  face,  and  it  looked  drawn  and  weary, 
but  it  wore  also  another  expression — something  softer  than 
she  had  yet  seen.  It  was  hard  to  say  wherein  lay  the  dif- 
ference, but  she  felt  that  he  had  altered  subtly  since  she 
last  saw  him — that  he  had  become  a  more  emotional  crea- 
ture. She  was  conscious  of  disliking  the  change.  , 

She  made  a  charming  picture,  seated  there  in  her  white 
gown,  the  sun  upon  her  dark  hair,  gilding  it  with  light. 
The  mellow  tints  of  the  old  room,  the  fine  lines  of  the 
casement  window,  the  glory  of  the  summer  day  without — 
all  combined  to  make  such  an  effect  as  one  rarely  sees  even 
in  a  long  lifetime — a  harmony  of  youth  and  happiness. 

"I  wanted  to  say  I  am  sorry,"  he  began ;  "my  aunt  told 
you  I  had  not  time  to  do  something  that  you  wished.  I 
will  find  time.  Will  you  tell  me  what  it  is  that  you  want  ?" 

"It  was  nothing  of  any  importance  at  all,"  she  replied 
carelessly.  I  have  made  other  arrangements,  and  you 
need  not  trouble  about  it.  I  am  sorry  your  aunt  seemed 
to  think  that  I  was  making  unjustifiable  demands  upon 
your  time." 

"No,  no,"  he  burst  in  quickly.    "She  never  meant  that." 

"I  can  imagine  how  tired  you  must  be,  not  having  been 
to  bed  all  night,"  she  went  on  calmly. 

His  head  came  up  with  a  jerk,  and  his  eyes  met  hers, 
steady  and  blue. 


THE    MIDNIGHT   ERRAND 

"Not  having  been  to  bed  last  night  V9 

"I  saw  you  run  down  the  garden,"  she  replied  quietly, 
keeping  her  gaze  fixed  on  him,  "and  I  also  saw  you  return 
— with  a  friend.  I  very  nearly  roused  the  house,  to  say  I 
had  seen  a  burglar." 

He  met  her  eyes  quite  steadily.  "I  went  to  fetch  the 
doctor,  Fraulein,"  he  said  simply. 

She  gave  a  little  start.  The  explanation  was  so  simple, 
yet  to  her  unexpected. 

"I  am  very,  very  sorry  that  I  disturbed  your  rest,"  he 
went  on.  "It  was  the  Herr  Doktor  Stahlschmidt  who  was 
with  me." 

"Your  aunt?"  broke  in  Camiola. 

He  shook  his  head.  "It  is  not  my  aunt.  It  is  a  poor 
woman  to  whom  she  has  been  very  kind.  She  has  been  ill 
during  the  past  three  days.  This  morning,  thanks  to  the 
Herr  Doktor,  she  is  better." 

Camiola  leaned  back,  with  a  look  of  relief.  "Well!" 
said  she,  "but  why  could  not  your  aunt  tell  me  that  ?  I  am 
not  a  monster ;  I  have  some  human  sympathy.  Isn't  there 
something  I  could  do  to  help  ?  Yon  know  I  want  to." 

"That  is  why,"  he  answered  low,  "that  is  why  we  will 
not  trouble  the  Fraulein.  She  is  so  heavenly  good.  There 
is  no  need  to  trouble  you,  indeed.  Since  you  pay  us  such 
good  wages,  we  are  able  to  do  all.  But  I "  He  hesi- 
tated, and  grew  red. 

"Well,  what  is  it?", she  asked  gently. 

"I  would  ask  something;  but  it  is  difficult" 

"Tell  me,  Esler." 

"My  aunt  does  not  wish  it  known,"  he  murmured  low. 
"The  Herr  Graf  does  not  know,  and  the  Herr  Captain 
does  not  know,  that  she  has  this — pensioner.  It  is  not 
certain  that  it  would  be  permitted.  I  wish  to  implore 
you,  Fraulein,  of  your  great  kindness,  not  to  say  to  any 
one  what  I  have  now  told  you."  He  struggled  with  him- 


A  -CASTLE    TO    LET 

self,  and  added  shamefacedly:  "It  is  most  unwillingly 
that  I  bring  myself  to  ask." 

Camiola  flushed  warmly.  "Esler,"  she  cried  impul- 
sively, "do  you  really  think  you  could  make  such  a  re- 
quest to  me  in  vain  ?" 

He  almost  turned  his  back  upon  her.  "I  know  I  could 
not,"  he  said,  almost  inaudibly,  "but  that  makes  it  all  the 
harder  to  have  to  ask." 

There  was  a  silence.  She  felt  as  if  a  dear  brother  of 
hers  were  in  trouble,  and  as  if  it  would  be  natural  to  take 
his  hand,  press  it,  and  beg  him  to  cheer  up.  She  wanted 
to  throw  her  arm  across  his  bent  shoulders,  and  assure  him 
of  her  sympathy. 

All  that  she  could  trust  herself  to  say  was:  "You  don't 
know  how  glad  I  am  that  you  told  me.  I  knew  Frau  Esler 
was  in  trouble,  and  I  did  not  like  to  show  impertinent 
curiosity.  I  promise  you  I  will  not  say  a  word,  but  you 
will  tell  me  if  you  want  anything,  won't  you  ?  I  want  to 
help.  Can't  you  see,  I  always  want  to  help !" 

He  turned  upon  her  suddenly,  with  so  changed  a  look 
that  she  almost  winced.  His  hands  were  clenched,  straight 
down  at  his  sides,  his  face  was  flushed,  there  was  water 
standing  in  his  blue  eyes. 

"And  it  is  I  that  ought  to  help  you !"  he  burst  out,  "and 
who  can  do  nothing.  I'm  a  servant,  and  I  mustn't  even 
say  'Thank  you'  as  I  want  to  say  it." 

Her  bewildered  face  warned  him.  His  look  changed, 
his  head  drooped.  "I  beg  your  pardon,  gnadigete,"  he 
said,  moving  away  as  soon  as  he  had  spoken. 

She  was  too  amazed  to  reply  in  any  way;  but,  as  he 
reached  the  door,  he  turned,  with  a  sort  of  dogged  pa- 
tience. 

"My  aunt  told  me  to  say  that,  if  the  Herr  Captain  gives 
permission,  I  will  show  you  through  the  garrets  this  after- 
noon. There  are  onlv  two  rooms  that  are  locked." 


THE    MIDNIGHT    ERRAND 

He  waited  for  no  response,  but  went  immediately  out. 

Camiola  sat  as  he  had  left  her,  and  wondered  whether 
the  world  had  turned  upside  down. 

Yet  nothing  had  happened,  except  that  a  foreign  rustic 
had  made  her  an  unusual  kind  of  apology. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

BETTY'S  ACCIDENT 

OTHO  reached  the  shrine  of  St.  Ildemund  in  record 
time  from  the  city  gate.  He  was  growing  so  used  to  go 
up  and  down  the  mountain  that  it  seemed  nothing  at  all. 
He  was  hot,  but  hardly  out  of  breath,  as  he  paused  to  wipe 
the  dew  from  his  handsome  forehead. 

As  he  did  so,  he  became  aware  that  in  the  centre  of  the 
path,  just  where  the  road  to  Orenfels  forked  away  from 
that  which  led  to  the  left  to  the  Trollzahner  Falls,  some- 
thing white  lay  under  a  stone. 

He  picked  it  up  and  read,  to  his  great  delight,  the  news 
that  the  party  was  Dicnicking  near  the  fishing-pool,  and 
would  be  found  if  he  came  along. 

Turning  gladly  along  the  more  level  path  he  made  good 
pace,  pondering  as  he  went  over  various  matters.  He  had 
bad  news  to  give  that  morning,  and  upon  the  question  of 
how  Camiola  received  it  would  depend  the  immediate 
urging  or  the  postponement  of  his  suit. 

Striding  along,  after  a  while  he  began  to  whistle.  The 
notes  rang  out  clear  and  bird-like  above  the  murmur  of 
the  stream,  near  whose  bank  he  was  now  moving. 

A  cry  came  to  his  ears.  Abruptly  he  ceased  to  whistle 
and  listened.  . 

"Help,  please!"  said  some  unseen  person,  and  after  a 
minute  added  these  surprising  words :  " Wenn  du  Deutsch 
list,  bitte  zu  Hilf!" 

He  could  not  help  the  smile  that  curved  his  lip  under 
his  moustache  at  this  appeal.  Who  could  it  be?  Some 

230 


BETTY'S    ACCIDENT  231 

one  whose  German  was  of  the  most  elementary  descrip- 
tion. He  looked  all  around,  but  could  see  nobody.  He 
must  not  let  the  speaker — who  was  undoubtedly  feminine 
• — become  conscious  of  her  colloquial  solecism,  so  he  cried 
out: 

"Wo  bist  du  ?"    And  was  almost  immediately  answered : 

"Oh,  is  it  you,  Captain  von  Courland?  I  am  almost 
in  the  water,  down  under  the  bank." 

He  flung  down  his  hat  and  coat,  which  he  was  carrying, 
and  lowered  himself  from  the  path,  looking  this  way  and 
that.  Before  long  he  saw  the  glint  of  a  golden  head  and  a 
bit  of  the  pale-green  linen  gown  which  Betty  wore. 

"I'm  coming,"  said  he,  hastening  at  his  best  speed. 

He  was  horrified  when  he  had  reached  her,  to  see  how 
pale  she  looked. 

"Oh,  please  be  quick.  See  if  you  can  lift  the  stone  that 
is  on  my  foot,"  she  implored  him. 

"Why,  how  on  earth  did  you  contrive  to  do  this?"  he 
cried,  as  he  approached  the  great  rock  which  held  her 
pinned.  "Lie  quite  still  for  a  minute.  I  don't  know  that 
I  can  lift  it  alone.  Yes — yes,  it's  coming!  There" — as 
the  mass  toppled  over  sideways,  leaving  her  clear.  "My 
word,  don't  move.  You  have  hurt  yourself  badlv,  I'm 
afraid." 

The  crushed  grass  was  wet  and  slippery  with  blood,  and 
her  delicate  frock  was  stained.  She  was  in  a  most  un- 
comfortable position,  supporting  herself  on  one  elbow ;  and 
as  she  experienced  the  sudden  relief  of  having  the  weight 
lifted,  she  turned  white  and  her  head  sank  sideways. 

He  was  growing  quite  English  in  his  habit  of  carrying 
a  folding  cup  in  his  pocket.  He  ran  to  the  riverside,  filled 
it,  and  hastening  back  raised  the  girl  very  tenderly,  hold- 
ing the  water  to  her  pale  and  quivering  lips. 

She  drank,  and  let  her  head  rest  against  his  coat,  seem- 
ing quite  content  to  lie  still  for  some  minutes  with  eyes 


ACASTLETOLET 

closed.  He  sat  there  looking  down  upon  her,  and  watch- 
ing with  gratification  the  colour  steal  back  into  her  face. 
Then  her  lids  were  raised,  and  two  grateful  blue  eyes 
looked  into  his,  first  with  relief,  then  with  confusion,  a 
sudden  blush,  a  turning  away. 

It  was  wonderful.  In  that  moment  the  heart  upon 
which  Betty's  head  lay  pillowed  gave  a  leap  for  which  its 
owner  was  unprepared.  He  thought  it  must  be  audible 
to  her,  but  she  was  too  occupied  in  realising  the  fact  that 
Captain  von  Courland  had  her  in  his  arms,  and  that  his 
vivid,  handsome  face  was  but  a  few  inches  from  her  own. 

"Thanks  so  much.  I  am  quite  all  right  now,"  said 
she  demurely. 

"Don't  you  think,"  he  began  hesitatingly,  "just  a  little 
longer " 

"Oh,"  sighed  Betty  irrelevantly,  "the  German  language 
is  simply  awful !  I  am  glad  it  was  you,  and  nobody  else, 
that  heard  me  say  'Du'  when  I  ought  to  have  said  'Sie.' ' 

"Perhaps,"  said  Otho,  "that  was  not  a  mistake,  but 
only  a  prophecy." 

Betty  smiled.  They  all  knew  he  was  Camiola's  suitor, 
and  thus  he  might  one  day  be  Betty's  cousin-in-law.  She 
accepted  the  remark  amiably,  and  said  she  hoped  so. 

Then  she  begged  him  to  go  and  find  the  others,  tell 
them  what  had  befallen  her,  and  send  Neville  to  the  rescue. 
He,  however,  thought  it  would  be  well  to  ascertain  first 
how  much  damage  was  done,  and  whether  she  was  badly 
hurt. 

"I  don't  believe  I  am,"  she  replied.  "What  a  good 
thing  I  took  Camiola's  advice,  and  wore  thick  boots.  I 
think  they  have  saved  me  a  good  deal !" 

Indeed  it  seemed  so,  since  the  upper  leather  of  her 
boot  had  been  torn  completely  down,  and  Otho  was  able  to 
slip  it  off  without  the  formality  of  unlacing.  The  foot 
within  was  grazed  so  as  to  present  a  mass  of  crushed  tis- 


BETTY'S    ACCIDENT 

sue,  from  which  the  stocking  was  with  difficulty  detached. 

"How  did  it  happen  ?"  he  asked. 

"I  just  strayed  along,  gathering  willow  gentian;  it  is 
such  a  glorious  blue.  I  saw  that  big  clump,  just  by  the 
water,  and  I  felt  I  must  have  it,  so  I  swung  myself  down 
off  the  path,  stepped  on  this  boulder,  and  set  it  rolling. 
I  fell  as  it  gave  way  under  me,  and  then  I  don't  know 
what  happened.  Either  I  or  the  stone  seemed  to  tumble 
head  over  heels.  And  down  I  came,  and  down  it  came, 
too !" 

"I'm  going  to  carry  you  to  the  stream,  to  hold  your 
feet  in  the  running  water,"  he  said.  "Then  we  can  see 
what  mischief  there  is." 

He  did  so  with  strength  and  care.  She  sat  on  the  grassy 
verge,  watching  the  water  slip  away  below;  and  the  cold 
stanched  the  bleeding  in  great  measure. 

"I  don't  think  it's  broken.  I  can  move  all  my  toes/' 
said  Betty  gravely,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word. 

"Fortunately  you  had  soft  grass  and  earth  under  you, 
so  the  stone  did  not  wholly  crush  you.  "When  I  first  saw 
it,  I  really  thought  your  foot  was  pulp,"  he  cried,  with 
much  relief;  adding,  after  a  prolonged  contemplation: 
"What  a  pretty  little  thing  a  girl's  foot  is !" 

"I  don't  think  you  ought  to  make  personal  remarks," 
replied  Betty,  with  a  very  prunes-prism  expression. 

"Taking  an  unfair  advantage  of  my  position,  isn't 
it?"  he  smiled. 

"You  would  be  better  employed  in  going  and  calling 
my  brother." 

"I  will;  but  first  let  me  move  you,  in  case  you  turn 
faint  again,  and  fall  into  the  water." 

"I  shall  not  turn  faint  now.  I  am  ever  so  much  better. 
The  water  is  doing  my  foot  no  end  of  good.  Do  please  go 
and  call  Nev." 


234  ACASTLETOLET 

He  was  obliged  to  go,  though  his  movements  at  first 
were  very  slow  and  unwilling. 

His  appearance,  and  the  news  he  brought,  caused  con- 
sternation in  the  camp.  Conrad  rushed  away  to  summon 
Xev  from  his  fishing;  and  Otho  and  Nev  hurried  off, 
armed  with  a  white  silk  scarf  to  enwrap  the  injured  foot. 

They  made  a  chair  with  their  interlaced  arms,  in  which 
they  carried  Betty  back  to  the  picnic;  and  Miss  Purdon 
said  that  she  must  see  a  doctor.  Erwald  had  better  go 
back  to  Orenfels  for  a  mule,  and  after  lunch  she  must  be 
placed  thereon  and  taken  to  Ildestadt. 

"By  the  good  God's  arrangement,  the  Herr  Doktor 
Stahlschmidt  is  to-day  up  at  Maros,"  remarked  Erwald. 

Camiola,  who  had  been  hesitating  between  the  desire 
to  say  this  and  the  fear  of  betraying  confidence,  was  much 
relieved. 

"When  he  comes,"  went  on  the  muleteer,  "he  arrives 
and  departs  by  the  short  route,  crossing  the  Trollsbriicke. 
If  I  go  and  wait  there,  I  shall  catch  him  as  he  comes 
down." 

"How  do  you  know  that  he  has  not  already  gone?" 
asked  Camiola,  somewhat  anxiously. 

"He  was  to  stay  until  after  dinner,"  replied  Erwald. 

"Will  he  have  anything  with  him  ?"  asked  Mizpah,  "be- 
cause I  have  all  appliances  up  at  the  castle." 

"Oh!"  murmured  Camiola,  with  the  memory  of  the 
black  bag  in  her  mind,  "depend  upon  it,  when  he  goes  up 
the  mountain,  he  takes  all  he  is  likely  to  want  with  him. 
He  doesn't  expect  folks  up  there  to  keep  a  medicine  chest." 

"Very  well,  then ;  Erwald  had  better  go  to  the  Trolls- 
briicke, stop  him,  and  bring  him  here,"  decided  Mizpah. 

"We  might,"  suggested  Otho,  "after  lunch  carry  Hiss 
Thurlow  some  of  the  way  towards  the  bridge,  so  that  the 
doctor  may  have  the  less  far  to  come." 

"But  I  am  so  heavy,"  demurred  Betty. 


BETTY'S    ACCIDENT  235 

"But  we  can  carry  you  quite  easily,"  he  persisted 
eagerly. 

Bassett  remarked  that  he  badly  wanted  to  see  the 
Trollsbriicke  himself,  but  could  not  bring  himself  to  leave 
his  fishing  that  day.  Conrad  also,  who  had  been  lent  a 
rod,  was  fixed  upon  the  fishing  with  the  fell  determination 
of  a  small  boy  with  a  new  hobby. 

Neville,  who  likewise  desired  to  continue  his  sport, 
which  included  the  tuition  of  Irmgard,  threw  cold  water 
upon  Otho's  suggestion.  The  farther  they  carried  Betty  up 
that  way,  the  farther  they  would  have  to  bring  her  back. 

"Couldn't  I  go  home  by  the  Trollsbriicke  ?"  asked  Betty, 
"instead  of  coming  back  again." 

"Oh,  no,"  cried  Camiola,  "it  is  frightfully  steep,"  and 
checked  herself  abruptly,  realising  that  she  was  not  sup- 
posed to  know  anything  about  it. 

Erwald  was  the  only  person  who  took  note  of  her  slip. 
She  saw  him  glancing  at  her  with  interest. 

"Oh!"  sighed  Betty,  "I  am  so  dreadfully  sorry  for 
spoiling  this  beautiful  day." 

"It  is  especially  sad  for  me,"  replied  Otho,  "because 
it  is  my  last." 

They  all  cried  out.     What  did  he  mean? 

"I  have  come  to  say  'Good-bye/  "  he  remarked,  in  mel- 
ancholy tones.  "I  have  to  go  back  to  my  regiment  for  sev- 
eral days,  perhaps  for  a  week  or  longer.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  I  shall,  I  hope — nay,  I  am  almost  sure — be 
granted  more  leave.  But  I  must  be  off  to  Hennannstadt 
to-morrow." 

Camiola  heard  the  news  with  an  inward  gasp  of  relief. 
This  gave  breathing-time.  This  would  enable  her  to  test 
her  own  heart,  and  see  how  much  she  missed  him,  how 
ardently  she  desired  his  return. 

To  Betty,  on  the  contrary,  it  seemed  as  if  the  light  went 
out  of  the  sky  at  his  words. 


233  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

"Oh !"  sighed  she,  before  reflecting,  "how  much  we  shall 
all  miss  you !" 

Miss  Purdon  saw  the  glance  which  accompanied  the 
words,  and  intercepted  von  Courland's  wistful,  answering 
eyes.  She  dashed  into  the  breach,  covering  Betty's  slip. 
Indeed,  they  would  all  miss  the  Captain  sadly. 

He  owned,  looking  down  and  plucking  nervously  at  the 
moss  between  his  knees  as  he  sat  on  the  ground,  that  he 
felt  absurdly  down  in  the  mouth.  Usually  he  dreaded  his 
summer  visit  to  Ildestadt.  It  was  being  buried  alive. 

But  this  year There  was  an  eloquent  pause,  and  he 

dashed  on.  He  wanted  to  make  a  petition ;  he  had  no  right 
to  be  so  selfish,  but  he  was  going  to  venture.  Would  Miss 
France  put  off  the  visit  to  Gaura  Draculuj  until  he  came 
back,  so  that  he  might  be  of  the  party  ? 

The  hearty  response  to  this  request  showed  how  popu- 
lar he  had  made  himself.  All  declared  their  willingness 
to  wait.  Camiola  was  particularly  pleased  to  have  so 
good  a  pretext  for  deferring  the  expedition.  She  meant 
to  make  another  secret  visit  before  they  were  all  intro- 
duced to  the  fatal  spot. 

Since  Esler's  appeal  to  her  that  morning  she  had 
changed  her  intention  of  speaking  to  Otho  about  the  house- 
keeper and  her  nephew. 

Miss  Purdon,  glancing  at  her  face,  was  in  doubt  what 
to  deduce  from  it.  Either  Camiola  had  decided  against 
the  young  man  and  was  glad  to  be  rid  of  him  for  a  time, 
or  she  was  in  dread  of  falling  seriously  in  love  and  wel- 
comed a  respite.  Which  ?  In  view  of  the  girl's  distrait 
manner  during  the  past  few  days,  Mizpah  was  not  as  con- 
fident as  she  would  have  wished  to  be  that  the  former 
theory  represented  the  truth. 

"There  is  one  thing  I  want  to  ask  you  about,  Captain 
von  Courland,"  said  Camiola  presently.  "I  intend  to 
give  a  party  at  Orenfels,  and,  of  course,  everybody  who 


BETTY'S    ACCIDENT  237 

comes  must  be  put  up  for  the  night.  Ilerr  Neumann  will 
lend  me  all  the  extra  things  I  want,  but  we  are  short  of 
rooms.  Frau  Esler  tells  me  there  are  some  garret  rooms 
in  a  different  wing  which  are  kept  locked,  and  that  she 
could  not  let  me  use  them  without  the  Graf's  permission. 
Could  you  give  me  leave,  do  you  think?  I  would  most 
gladly  pay  extra  rent  for  the  privilege." 

"Why,  of  course,  you  may  use  anything  you  like ;  I  am 
sure  my  uncle  would  say  so !"  cried  Otho.  "I  don't  be- 
lieve he  knows  himself  what  rooms  there  are.  Frau  Esler 
knows  more  than  any  other  living  soul  about  the  castle, 
except,  perhaps,  old  Johanna,  who  is,  as  you  may  not 
know,  Frau  Esler's  aunt.  I  shall  tell  my  uncle  that  you 
want  to  use  all  the  rooms,  and  I  know  he  will  be  delighted. 
What  fun  it  will  be!" 

"Oh,"  said  Conrad,  "I  know  what  we  could  do  when 
the  visitors  come — we  men  could  use  those  funny  rooms 
in  the  keep,  couldn't  we  ?" 

"Some  of  us  men,"  replied  Bassett,  with  perfect  grav- 
ity, "would  rather  keep  to  our  own  beds." 

"Effeminate  Englishman,  isn't  he,  Con  ?"  laughed  Cami- 
ola,  with  her  arm  round  the  boy.  "But  I  really  don't  think 
the  keep  would  be  comfy,  you  know.  Anyhow,  we  will 
see  what  the  other  rooms  are  like  first." 

"You  won't  have  the  party  till  I  come  back,  will  you  ?" 
pleaded  Otho  dolefully. 

"Of  course  not !  I  must  have  time  to  send  out  invita- 
tions, and  to  make  arrangerao^f  ^Hh  Herr  Neumann, 
and  to  settle  how  to  entertain  my  guests.  I  suppose  I  can 
get  a  band  from  Herrmannstadt.  The  bandsmen  will 
have  to  sleep  in  the  keep,  Conrad.  And  we  can  dance  in 
the  gallery  if  we  can  muster  enough  people  to  make  it 
worth  while." 

This  fascinating  suggestion  set  them  all  off  discussing 
various  ideas,  and  Irmgard  and  Otho  began  counting  up 


238  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

all  possible  dancers.  He  could  bring  a  couple  of  officers 
from  his  own  regiment,  and  there  were  two  von  Imbert 
girls  and  two  young  von  Gliicksbergs  quite  nice.  Herr 
von  Arnstein  liked  dancing,  and  it  was  said  they  had  a 
niece.  Then  there  were  the  subalterns ;  and  the  von  Arn- 
steins  might  know  of  some  one  else.  Camiola  produced  a 
pencil  and  wrote  down  names,  and  nobody  listened  to  Miss 
Purdon's  opinion,  which  was  that  no  sane  person  of  either 
sex  would  come  so  many  miles  on  mule-back  merely  for 
the  sake  of  an  evening's  entertainment. 

"I  see  now  why  the  American  millionaire  sheered  off," 
she  remarked.  "This  place  is  far  too  isolated  to  be  of 
any  real  use  to  anybody." 

Erwald  now  approached,  to  say  that  he  was  ready  to 
go  and  meet  the  Herr  Doktor,  and  what  should  he  tell 
him? 

Camiola  arose,  and  said  she  was  going  with  him.  Otho 
looked  from  her  to  Betty  and  back  again.  Miss  Purdon 
was  there  to  look  after  the  invalid;  his  duty  was  clear. 
He  must  go  with  Camiola.  But  Betty  had  seen  the  hesi- 
tation. 

It  was  an  uncomfortable  walk.  Otho  had  thought  it 
his  bounden  duty  to  take  his  chance  if  he  could  get  it. 
Camiola  was  firmly  resolved  that  he  should  not  get  it.  She 
kept  things  upon  the  plane  of  frank  friendliness  which 
poor  Otho  found  so  baffling.  He  tried  not  once,  but  re- 
peatedly, to  bring  back  the  talk  to  the  direction  it  had 
taken  once  and  once  only :  on  the  day  they  walked  to  the 
summit.  Camiola  frustrated  his  efforts  as  fast  as  he  made 
them.  During  all  that  he  said,  and  all  that  he  left  un- 
said, his  mind  held  the  picture  of  the  raising  of  Betty's 
lie's,  and  the  look  which  had  dwelt  in  her  large  blue  eyes. 
If  only  Camiola  and  Betty  could  change  places ! 

In  desperation,  after  his  fruitless  attempts  to  be  per- 
sonal, he  began  to  talk  of  Miss  Thurlow,  and  Camiola  ac- 


BETTY'S    ACCIDENT  239 

cepted  the  change  of  topic  with  eagerness.  She  told  him 
much  of  her  cousin,  and  said  how  glad  she  was  to  see  her 
so  happy  and  enjoying  her  holiday.  At  home  she  was 
not  in  altogether  congenial  surroundings ;  her  elder  sister 
was  inclined  to  tyrannise  over  her.  She  remarked,  with 
an  air  of  unconcern,  that  she  hoped  Betty  would  marry. 
She  would  have  two  hundred  thousand  kronen  at  least, 
and  she — Camiola — meant  to  give  her  a  house  and  furni- 
ture when  she  married  by  way  of  a  wedding  present. 

This  information  left  Otho  breathless.  For  quite  a 
long  time  he  walked  on,  never  saying  a  word.  To  him  a 
fortune  of  ten  thousand  pounds  was  wealth.  It  made  any- 
thing possible. 

"I  should  think  she  might  have  more  in  the  end,"  re- 
marked Camiola.  "My  uncle  has  a  very  good,  old-estab- 
lished business,  and  Neville,  I  hear,  has  enlarged  it.  They 
are  prosperous  people." 

She  remarked  the  young  man's  abstraction  with  whim- 
sical pleasure.  He  had  discovered  Betty  wounded,  he 
had  come  to  her  rescue,  he  had  revived  her  when  fainting, 
and  bound  up  her  foot.  Suppose  these  two  should  fall  in 
love !  What  a  good  way  out  of  the  difficulty  for  her ! 

Then  a  pang  shot  across  her  mind.  Could  she  bear  to 
see  Betty  mistress  of  Orenfels? 

Perhaps  they  would  sell  the  castle  to  her?  They  could 
never  intend  to  live  in  it ;  and  Betty  would  certainly  de- 
sire her  husband  to  spent  part  of  his  time  in  England. 

Thus,  each  rapt  into  musing,  they  walked  on,  uncon- 
scious that  they  no  longer  conversed,  until  they  had  as- 
cended a  hillside  so  steep  that  it  was  like  the  ascent  of  a 
stone  staircase,  only  with  steps  two  feet  high,  and  found 
themselves  at  the  Trollsbriicke. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE  MYSTERIOUS   GET 

THE  arched  stone  bridge  spanned  the  ravine,  not  so 
very  far  below  the  awful  spot  at  which  she  and  Esler 
had  emerged  from  the  home  cave. 

It  was  known  to  be  eight  centuries  old,  and  some  con- 
sidered it  older.  It  was  a  relic  of  the  times  when  all  stores 
went  up  that  way  to  the  castle.  The  other  road,  past  St. 
Ildemund's,  had  probably  been  taken  into  use  on  account 
of  the  great  danger  and  difficulty  of  this  one. 

As  far  up  as  they  had  come,  the  way  was  safe  though 
steep.  It  was  above  that  it  grew  almost  precipitous,  as  it 
led  up  to  the  cave  mouth  on  the  side  of  the  ravine.  For 
many  years  now  it  had  been  wholly  neglected,  and  was  in 
bad  condition. 

Under  the  bridge  the  water  rushed  in  a  cataract,  gath- 
ering impetus  for  its  plunge  below  over  the  falls. 

Xot  far  from  the  bridge  was  the  crumbling  remains  of 
a  stone  shelter,  erected  for  the  use  of  travellers  in  bad 
weather.  The  sun  beat  down  to-day  so  fiercely  on  the  hill- 
side that  Camiola,  assured  by  Erwald  that  the  Herr  Dok- 
tor  had  not  yet  come  by,  went  into  the  hut  and  sat  down  in 
its  shade.  Otho  did  the  same,  and  they  began  talking  de- 
sultorily about  the  wild  scenery,  until  they  heard  the  sound 
of  voices.  By  leaning  forward,  Camiola  could  descry  that 
the  doctor  was  laboriously  descending,  and  that  Esler  was 
with  him. 

"How  surprised  they  will  be  to  find  us  here!"  she 
laughed.  "Don't  move;  they  won't  see  us  until  they  ac- 
tually pass  by." 

240 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    CRY 

In  a  minute  more  they  did  pass  by,  and  came  to  an 
abrupt  halt. 

Camiola  rose,  and  stepped  out  into  the  sunshine  with 
her  hand  outstretched.  ''The  Herr  Doktor  Stahlschmidt, 
I  think  ?"  she  said  courteously.  As  she  spoke  she  caught 
sight  of  Esler' s  face,  and  had  difficulty  in  repressing  an 
exclamation.  He  grew  so  white  that  she  thought  he  would 
faint.  He  looked  like  a  man  who  has  received  a  blow. 
His  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Otho. 

For  a  moment  she  felt  her  thoughts  distracted  from 
what  she  had  come  to  say,  but  almost  at  once  she  knew  that 
she  must  take  no  notice  of  what  she  saw.  She  continued 
to  speak  to  the  doctor,  indicating  Erwald  as  her  authority 
for  knowing  that  he  was  up  the  mountain,  and  telling  him 
of  the  accident  to  a  member  of  their  party.  The  doctor 
professed  himself  quite  ready  to  go  and  attend  to  the 
young  lady,  and  took  his  bag  from  Esler,  who  carried  it. 

Camiola  turned  to  Otho,  and  held  out  her  hand.  "As  I 
am  going  up  home  this  way,  I  will  take  leave  of  you 
here,"  she  said  kindly.  "You  tell  me  that  you  cannot 
spend  the  evening  with  us,  owing  to  your  early  departure 
to-morrow,  so  I  will  say  Auf  Wiedersehen,  and  hope  to 
see  you  back  in  as  few  days  as  duty  permits." 

Otho  took  leave  in  his  best  manner,  but  with  joy  in  his 
heart.  He  was  going  to  have  another  glance  at  Betty. 
He  was  thanking  his  kind  stars  that  he  had  not  committed 
himself  with  Camiola. 

The  doctor,  Erwald,  and  he  turned  away  down  the  pre- 
cipitous path,  leaving  her  standing  in  the  sun,  motionless, 
and  Esler  beside  her  like  a  statue.  She  said  nothing  at 
all  until  the  three  men  had  disappeared  behind  the  inequal- 
ities of  the  mountain-side.  Then,  without  looking  up : 

"Will  you  take  me  home,  Esler?" 

"Assuredly,  gnadigste." 

She  gave  a  long  sigh,  and  stole  a  look  at  him.     "Have 


ACASTLETOLET 

you  found  the  sun  too  hot  ?"  she  asked.  "You  don't  look 
well." 

"I  am  quite  well,  thank  you !"  he  replied  mechanically. 

"I  decided/7  she  remarked,  "to  come  home  this  way,  in 
order  that  you  and  I  might  arrange  our  plans.  Fate  has 
played  into  my  hands  in  a  most  unexpected  manner.  The 
Herr  Captain  has  to  go  away  for  a  week — perhaps  more. 
He  asked  me  to  promise  not  to  have  an  expedition  to  the 
Gaura  Draculuj  until  his  return,  which,  of  course,  I  did 
with  delight.  Now  we  can  settle  a  time  to  go  there  to- 
gether first." 

He  made  no  reply  of  any  kind.  She  glanced  up  to  see 
what  was  the  matter. 

"Come  and  sit  down  in  the  hut,"  she  remarked  abruptly. 
"This  sun  is  perfectly  grilling." 

In  response  to  her  imperious  order,  he  did  approach  the 
hut,  but  would  not  enter  it.  He  stood  in  the  shade,  staring 
at  the  ground. 

Just  as  she  was  thinking  for  the  hundredth  time  how 
eccentric  he  was,  he  spoke  huskily. 

"It  is  a  great  pity  that  the  Herr  Captain  must  go  away. 
You  will  miss  him." 

"We  shall  all  miss  him,"  she  replied,  with  simple  di- 
rectness. "He  is  a  nice  fellow." 

There  was  another  silence,  and  when  Esler  spoke  again 
his  tone  was  perceptibly  more  cheerful. 

"This  is  where  folks  say  that  the  party  was  lost,"  he 
remarked. 

"I  know."  At  once  her  tone  was  eager.  This  was  the 
keen  guide,  the  trusty  mountaineer,  the  person  whom  she 
liked,  and  in  whose  society  she  felt  comfortable. 

Quite  naturally  they  began  to  discuss  things.  He  took 
her  down  to  the  cliff's  precipitous  edge,  and  pointed  out  a 
place,  rather  below  the  bridge,  where  was  a  pool  of  un- 
known depth.  How  nine  sane  persons  could  have  drowned 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    CRY          243 

themselves  in  this  pool  in  broad  daylight,  nobody  had 
volunteered  to  explain. 

"After  all,  we  do  know  something,"  she  remarked 
dreamily,  staring  down  into  the  swirling  water.  "You 
have  evidence  we  cannot  dispute,  in  the  things  found  in 
the  sand.  The  mystery  is,  how  they  came  there !" 

"I  mean  to  find  out,"  he  asserted. 

"Yes.  I  feel  convinced  that  you  will,  but  I  do  want  to 
help.  It  is  curious  how  this  thing  has  got  hold  of  me! 
I  want,  more  than  ever  I  remember  wanting  anything 
before,  to  find  out  the  truth  of  this  affair.  But,  of  course," 
she  added,  with  a  sudden  touch  of  self-consciousness  and 
confusion,  "I  have  no  right  to  be  a  bother  to  you.  You  are 
not  my  servant,  as  your  aunt  reminded  me  to-day." 

He  broke  in.  "But  you  know  otherwise.  You  know! 
What  did  I  tell  you  the  other  day,  when  I  had  displeased 
you  ?" 

Something  in  his  tone  puzzled  her.  It  sounded  as 
though  he  were  an  equal,  reproving  her  for  caprice.  She 
laughed. 

"But  isn't  it  a  little  bit  ridiculous  ?"  she  said.  "Either 
you  are  my  servant,  and  I  have  a  right  to  command  your 
time,  or  you  are  not  my  servant,  and  I  have  no  right." 

His  face  flamed  red.  "That  point  is  easily  settled. 
You  pay  me  wages." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "Does  it  include  attend- 
ance when  on  dangerous  expeditions?" 

"Above  all  things  it  includes  that." 

"Very  well.  Xow  we  know  where  we  are.  Let  us  ar- 
range for  our  next  secret  expedition.  You  know  I  have 
been  thinking  it  over,  and  I  can't  help  seeing 

He  waited.  Then,  as  she  did  not  go  on,  he  said: 
"Yes?" 

"That  it  would  be  best — would  give  us  more  time — if 
we  went  in  the  night." 


ACASTLETOLET 

"I  did  not  like  to  point  that  out,  but,  of  course,  vou  are 
right." 

"I  cannot  very  well  disappear  from  view  for  a  whole 
day,"  she  laughed,  "and  even  for  half  a  day  the  headache 
device  is  very  thin.  I  am  so  desperately  well  and  strong ; 
I  don't  think  they  believed  me  last  time.  If  we  started  as 
soon  as  I  am  supposed  to  be  in  bed,  we  should  have  plenty 
of  time,  and  nobody  would  suspect  anything." 

He  agreed.  "The  moon  will  soon  be  full,"  he  said,  "and 
if  we  go,  we  ought  to  take  advantage  of  that.  Just  above 
there" — he  pointed  to  the  height — "it  makes  all  the  dif- 
ference ;  the  cliff  path  is  dangerous  in  the  pitch  dark." 

"I  think,"  she  reflected,  "that  I  can  keep  them  all  quiet 
for  a  few  days.  Mr.  Bassett  is  quite  content  to  fish,  and 
the  heat  makes  the  others  prefer  tennis  to  climbing.  I 
mention  this,  because  if  I  am  out  all  night,  I  shall  not  be 
good  for  a  hard  day  afterwards." 

"Certainly.  I  will  do  all  I  can  so  that  you  may  not  be 
over-tired  again,  as  you  were  the  other  day.  I  will  take 
food  and  wine.  As  for  precautions,  I  have  fixed  another 
rope ;  and  as  well  as  my  revolver,  I  have  a  more  powerful 
weapon — an  elephant  gun — given  me  by  a  traveller  on 
board  ship.  I  have  put  that  on  a  ledge  of  rock,  so  that  I 
know  where  to  find  it." 

"Splendid !    Shall  we  go  to-morrow  night  ?" 

He  hesitated.  "Might  it  be  a  little  later?  It  would 
be  better  if  I  could  get  some  sleep  before  we  venture,  and 
I  have  not  been  to  bed  for  two  nights.  If  you  are  set  upon 
to-morrow,  I  will  do  my  best,  and  I  dare  say  it  would  be 
all  right;  but,  in  a  case  like  this,  I  don't  want  to  take 
risks,  and  sleeplessness  spoils  one's  aim,  and  makes  the 
hand  shake." 

She  applauded  his  caution.  "Of  course,  you  must  have 
sleep.  The  third  night  from  now  shall  be  the  time.  Oh,  it 
makes  one  shudder,  even  in  this  sunshine,  but  I  promise 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    CRY  245 

not  to  ]ose  my  nerve.  I  shall  know  the  path  quite  well, 
as  we  are  going  back  by  way  of  the  home  cave  now."  She 
rose  to  her  feet.  "By  the  way,  I  hope  your  invalid  is 
going  on  well?" 

A  smile  broke  over  his  face,  and  his  voice  sounded  full 
of  pride  and  exultation  as  he  replied :  "I  thank  you,  Frau- 
lein,  very  well  indeed,"  adding,  half  shyly :  "May  I  say 
how  much  obliged  I  am  to  you  for  not  letting  any  one 
know  that  you  knew  the  doctor  was  up  the  mountain." 

"Oh,"  cried  she,  with  a  sudden  intonation  of  compre- 
hension, "was  tha-t  what  you  were  so  afraid  of?" 

"So  afraid  of?" 

"Just  now,  when  you  came  suddenly  upon  me,  waiting 
in  the  hut  there,  you  turned  so  white  I  thought  you  were 
going  to  faint.  Surely  you  did  not  think  I  would  betray 
you  when  I  had  promised  ?" 

"Most  certainly  not,"  he  replied  warmly.  "I — I  did 
not  know  I  looked  white.  It  is  very  hot  weather,  is  it 
not  ?" 

"Yes,  perfectly  lovely,"  she  answered  slowly,  gazing 
down  the  valley  before  turning  to  breast  the  hill  above 
them.  "I  feel  so  happy,"  she  remarked,  hardly  conscious 
that  she  spoke  aloud.  "Everything  seems  going  so  well, 
just  as  I  could  wish ;  and  I  am  going  to  have  such  an  ad- 
venture !" 

"It's  a  glorious  world!"  cried  Esler  impetuously. 

Bassett  was  annoyed  when  Erwald  and  the  doctor  came 
back  without  Camiola,  and  he  was  told  that  she  had  gone 
home  by  the  Trollsbriicke  with  Esler.  On  the  way  home — 
a  mule  having  been  fetched,  and  the  duly  bandaged  Betty 
placed  thereon — he  told  Xeville  that  he  thought  they 
would  have  to  give  their  hostess  a  hint. 

"I  don't  like  to  do  it,"  replied  iSTeville.  "Camiola's 
charm  is  her  frank  unconsciousness.  To  her  Esler  is  just 


246  ACASTLETOLET 

a  peasant,  and  I  must  say  I  have  found  his  manners  uni- 
formly excellent.  As  the  General  laid  stress  upon  it,  I 
am  keeping  Conrad  out  of  his  way,  but  I  am  more  than 
half  inclined  myself  to  look  upon  the  whole  thing  as  gos- 
sip. If  there  were  any  truth  in  it,  I  think  von  Courland 
would  have  heard  of  it,  but  evidently  he  knows  nothing." 

"No,  that's  true.  He  told  me  that  his  uncle  put  com- 
plete confidence  in  young  Esler,  and  that  he  is  a  first-rate 
servant." 

"If  he  ever  forgot  himself  or  was  rude,  Oamiola  would 
soon  take  order  with  him ;  but  I  know  she  likes  him," 
went  on  Neville. 

"At  the  Watch  Tower  the  other  day  the  women  were 
hinting  something  about  him  to  her.  I  overheard  it," 
Bassett  confided.  "They  spoke  of  his  being  stuck  up,  as 
far  as  I  could  judge,  and  she  laughed  in  their  faces.  I 
see  no  justification  for  interfering.  No  doubt  he  has  a 
sort  of  devotion  to  Camiola,  and  does  all  he  can  for  her; 
but  then,  she  is  a  rich  mistress  who  pays  well,  and  may 
pay  better,  besides  being  young  and  attractive.  He  would 
be  a  surly  young  ruffian  if  he  were  not  anxious  to  do  his 
best." 

"Then  you  agree  with  me  that  it  would  be  better  not 
to  repeat  gossip  to  Camiola  ?"  demanded  Neville ;  and  ac- 
cepted Bassett's  assent  with  relief. 

"We  should  have  some  trouble  to  replace  the  chap," 
commented  the  K.C.  "He  knows  all  the  ropes,  and  is  on 
good  terms  with  Erwald.  Let  us  continue  to  pursue  a 
watching  and  waiting  policy." 

Next  day  Camiola  found  Frau  Esler  not  perhaps  will- 
ing, but  submissive  in  regard  to  showing  the  locked  rooms. 

They  went  together  to  the  gallery,  accompanied  by 
Irmgard;  and  Camiola  felt  more  than  ever  as  though 
moving  through  the  pages  of  a  story  book,  when  the 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    CRY  247 

hidden  door  proved  to  be  exactly  where  she  had  dreamed 
it.  They  passed  through  it  into  a  long  stone  corridor, 
very  narrow,  and  lit  by  loopholes  only,  at  the  end  of  which 
a  corkscrew  stair  led  up  one  floor.  Here  was  another 
passage,  the  counterpart  of  the  one  below,  only  lit  by 
dormers,  and  extending  much  farther.  The  windows,  and 
the  way  in  which  the  passage  passed  across  the  whole  ex- 
tent of  the  castle  wing,  suggested  that  it  had  been  added 
at  a  later  date  over  the  older  floor,  for  the  purpose  of  ac- 
commodating the  retinues  of  servants  who  accompanied 
the  seventeenth  century  nobility  upon  its  journeys,  and 
were  become  too  refined  for  the  quarters  in  the  Keep. 
There  were,  however,  only  three  doors  in  the  long  extent 
of  the  passage,  besides  one  which  was  at  the  farthest  ex- 
tremity, facing  them  as  they  walked  along.  This,  Camiola 
felt  sure,  was  the  door  she  had  seen  in  her  dream ;  above 
it  the  naked  rafters  were  clearly  distinguishable. 

Frau  Esler  unlocked  the  first  of  the  three  doors,  and 
they  entered  a  long  dormitory,  with  a  range  of  wooden 
partitions  or  cubicles.  There  was  no  furniture,  except 
for  one  or  two  old  chests  and  a  cupboard.  There  was  no 
ceiling,  and  light  was  admitted  through  unglazed  dormers, 
deeply  set  under  projections  of  the  massive  roof. 

As  the  Frau  had  said,  they  were  but  garrets,  and  unfit 
for  the  accommodation  of  guests.  All  three  dormitories 
were  exactly  alike,  and  each  would  hold  six  beds. 

Camiola  decided,  however,  that  they  could  quite  well 
sloop  up  there  for  one  night — the  ladies  in  one  dormitory, 
the  men  in  another,  leaving  their  own  quarters  below  for 
their  guests.  The  roof  was  perfectly  weather  proof,  and 
Frau  Esler  assured  her  that  no  rain  came  in  through  the 
window-holes,  even  in  a  driving  storm.  The  summer 
weather  would  prevent  their  feeling  the  need  of  glass.  A 
couple  of  men  with  pails  of  distemper  could  make  all  clean 
and  fresh  in  a  very  few  days. 


248  ACASTLETOLET 

"What  an  odd  place!"  sighed  Irmgard.  "I  think  I 
should  be  afraid  to  sleep  up  here,  if  it  were  not  that  the 
men  will  be  next  door." 

"I  don't  see  what  there  is  to  be  afraid  of,"  replied 
Camiola,  glancing  round.  "It  is  all  quite  clean,  and  there 
are  no  dark  corners." 

"X-no,"  replied  Irmgard,  half  laughing,  "but 

"But  the  Fraulein  Maldovan  has  not  that  love  for  old, 
strange  places  which  possesses  the  Fraulein  France,"  said 
Frau  Esler  dryly. 

Both  girls  laughed.  "Well,  Frau  Esler,  are  you  going  to 
show  us  the  whole  extent  of  the  place?"  asked  Camiola, 
coming  out  into  the  passage  and  pointing  to  the  door  at 
the  far  end. 

"That  room  is  closed,  Fraulein.  In  it  are  stored  such 
family  property  as  cannot  be  taken  to  the  Watch  Tower. 
The  Fraulein  will  perhaps  be  graciously  pleased  to  allow 
the  old  family  to  reserve  just  one  garret  for  their  private 
use?" 

The  tone  was  superficially  respectful,  but  the  irony 
which  underlay  the  plea  was  perceptible  enough. 

Camiola  could  not  help  colouring.  "I  am  sorry  to  have 
shown  impertinent  curiosity,"  she  remarked,  a  trifle 
warmly.  Frau  Esler  did  not  contradict  her.  She  stood 
awaiting  further  orders  with  her  mouth  firmly  closed,  and 
her  hands  folded  over  her  large  apron. 

"I  think  everybody  who  lets  a  house  furnished  keeps 
one  room  to  store  away  things  in,  'Miola,"  said  Irmgard 
deprecatingly,  not  quite  understanding  the  frown  upon 
her  friend's  face. 

"Of  course.  One  would  think  that  I  was  trying  to 
break  open  the  door!"  cried  Camiola  impatiently.  "At 
least,  there  is  no  reason  why  these  rooms  should  not  be 
used,  if  we  want  them.  There  is  nothing  in  any  of 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    CRY  249 

"I  had  them  cleared  yesterday,"  remarked  Frau  Esler, 
with  a  slight  suggestion  of  patient  martyrdom. 

"Oh,  why  did  you  take  the  trouble?  The  things  could 
have  been  piled  up;  we  shall  not  want  all  these  stables/' 
replied  the  girl,  with  an  angry  laugh,  turning  away  to 
walk  downstairs. 

At  the  foot  of  the  winding  staircase  she  remembered 
that  she  had  laid  down  a  small  pocket-book,  in  which 
she  had  taken  notes,  upon  one  of  the  old  chests.  Frau 
Esler  had  gone  down  first  to  open  the  door  at  the  stair- 
foot.  Irmgard  was  next,  and  Camiola  last. 

"Tell  Frau  Esler  to  wait  a  few  minutes.  I  have  left 
my  book  and  pencil  up  there,"  said  she.  And,  turning, 
swiftly  retraced  her  steps. 

"Let  me  go!"  cried  Irmgard,  but  in  the  narrow  space 
it  was  not  easy  to  pass,  and  she  allowed  her  friend  to 
have  her  own  way.  With  a  curious  sort  of  satisfaction, 
Miss  France  found  herself  once  more  in  the  passage  and 
alone. 

It  was  very  still  and  very  warm  under  the  old  roof. 
The  sunlight  entered  in  shafts  like  glittering  sword-blades 
athwart  the  narrow  alley,  and  as  she  whispered  to  herself : 

"Powdered  with  gold  Us  glooms  soft  dun." 

She  could  hear  the  cooing  of  wood-doves  somewhere 
close  bv.  Verv  likelv  thev  nested  in  the  rafters,  since 

*/&/«/«/  7 

they  could  fly  in  and  out  at  pleasure. 

She  opened  the  door  of  the  first  dormitory  timidly,  as 
though  some  effluence  from  the  past  might  meet  her.  All 
was  still  and  dimly  quiet.  On  this  side  the  sun  did  not 
enter,  and  the  light  was  not  very  strong. 

She  searched  this  room  in  vain,  then  the  next,  and 
finally  found  what  she  sought  in  the  farthest  of  the  three. 
Emerging  from  this  last,  and  softly  closing  the  door  behind 


250  ACASTLETOLET 

her,  she  stood  for  a  moment  in  a  sort  of  wonder  of  con- 
templation before  the  door  of  which  she  had  dreamed  so 
vividly. 

The  dove  had  ceased  to  coo.  Xo  sound  came  to  her 
from  below;  and  it  was  at  that  moment  that  she  heard 
in  the  warm,  throbbing  silence  something  which  caused 
her  heart  to  give  a  leap  of  fright,  though  it  was  not  a 
sound  to  inspire  terror.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  the  one 
note  which  will  reach  the  heart  of  any  woman  in  her 
youth,  awaking  echoes  from  an  age-long  past — the  thin, 
appealing  wail  of  a  new-born  infant. 

It  travelled  towards  her  through  the  door  with  won- 
derful clearness,  considering  the  thickness  of  Orenfels  oak. 

For  a  moment  she  doubted  her  ears.  Then  the  sound 
was  repeated.  She  could  just  catch  the  low  murmur  of 
some  one  who  soothed  and  hushed  the  plaintive  cry. 

So  that  was  the  doctor's  errand !  A  swift  indignation 
that  she  had  been  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  wonderful  thing 
which  had  transpired  in  her  castle  caught  her  by  the 
throat.  There  was  a  baby — a  live  baby — in  there  among 
the  stored  furniture!  And  she  had  never  seen  a  new- 
born baby  in  her  life !  How  detestable  Frau  Esler  was ! 

Her  knees  were  shaking  under  her  as  she  made  her 
way  down  to  the  lower  landing. 

Frau  Esler  awaited  her  with  apprehension  in  her  eyes. 

"Of  course,"  remarked  Camiola,  "I  found  the  thing 
in  the  very  last  place  in  which  I  looked." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE    BLACK    DBAGON 

ALL.  Europe  lay  bathed  in  the  light  of  the  splendid 
August  moon,  which  moved  across  the  heaven  with  trail 
of  silver  like  a  queen  in  a  state  procession. 

The  radiance  revealed  the  mighty  limbs  of  the  huge 
mountains,  stretched  out  in  dazzling  masses,  interspersed 
with  nightmare  gulfs  of  terrible  shadow,  of  darkness  un- 
speakable. 

As  Camiola  and  Esler  emerged  from  the  home  cave, 
and  stood  upon  the  narrow  road  which  led  upward  to 
the  Gaura  Draculuj,  or  downward  to  the  Trollsbriicke, 
the  effect  of  the  majestic  night  suddenly  displayed  before 
them  was  almost  too  much  for  the  girl. 

Sitting  down  upon  a  stone  on  the  inner  edge  of  the 
path,  she  cupped  her  chin  in  her  two  palms,  resting  her 
elbows  upon  her  knees,  while  her  wide  eyes  drank  in  the 
glory  of  the  night,  and  her  bosom  heaved  with  feelings 
she  could  not  utter. 

Esler  stood  at  her  side,  with  arms  folded.  He  was 
never  talkative,  but  this  evening  he  said  less  than  ever. 
After  an  interval  of  motionless  waiting,  he  seated  himself 
near  her,  took  a  peach  from  his  pocket,  and  began  to 
peel  it  very  carefully.  Having  halved  it,  and  removed 
the  stone,  he  laid  it  upon  her  knee,  dished  up  on  a  paper 
mat  with  a  lace  border.  "I  expect  you  are  thirsty,"  he 
remarked. 

She  smiled  her  thanks.  "How  perfectly  delicious!  I 
had  no  idea  that  I  could  eat  anything  out  here  in  this 

251 


252  ACASTLETOLET 

moonlight,  but  a  peach  seems  to  be  the  one  thing  possible 
under  the  circumstances.  It  was  clever  of  you  to  think 
of  it." 

He  smiled  indulgently,  as  one  smiles  at  an  engaging 
child,  carefully  removing  the  paper  when  she  had  done, 
screwing  it  into  a  ball,  and  tossing  it  to  the  oblivion  of 
the  waters  in  the  ravine,  in  dutiful  observance  of  her 
iron  rule  against  the  leaving  of  paper  or  debris  of  any 
sort  after  meals  in  the  open  air. 

This  done,  she  arose  reluctantly.  There  seemed  no 
reason  for  haste.  The  long  hours  of  the  night  stretched 
before  them,  and  something  in  the  magic  of  the  scene 
affected  her  like  an  imperious  command  to  linger. 

"How  strange  it  seems!"  she  said,  in  a  hushed  voice, 
"that  one  so  seldom  sees  this  beauty.  How  different  life 
would  be,  if  we  spent  long  hours  upon  mountain  heights 
in  moonlight !  As  a  rule,  we  are  asleep  while  this  pageant 
is  marching  across  the  sky — asleep  in  a  house,  in  a  street, 
with  no  view  but  the  windows  opposite.  .  .  .  And  when 
it  is  all  over,  and  the  light  of  common  day  has  come,  we 
jump  up  and  go  to  shops  and  buy  things!  Life  is  a 
puzzle !" 

"Oh,  but  men  are  wise,"  he  answered  gravely.  "We 
know  we  cannot  bear  much  of  this  magnificence.  We  are 
not  built  strong  enough  to  resist  the  pressure  of  eternity, 
and  so  we  make  buttresses  for  ourselves  out  of  such  things 
as  meal-times  and  shopping  and  cooking,  and  other  cease- 
less, small  activities.  A  sight  so  stupendous  as  these 
mountains,  or  the  endless  expanse  of  ocean,  with  the  same 
moon  lying  over  it,  making  paths  of  gold,  leading  whither  ? 
These  things  would  send  you  mad  with  longing,  if  you 
often  let  yourself  be  influenced  by  them." 

She  had  ceased  to  feel  it  strange  that  he  should  talk 
thus.  She  merely  cried  out  to  him:  "Why?  Can  you 
answer  that  question,  the  question  of  the  ages?  Why 


THE    BLACK    DRAGON  253 

does  great  beauty  seem  terrible  to  us  ?  Why  does  it  make 
us  feel  as  though  our  hearts  would  break  ?" 

"Don't  you  know?"  he  answered.  "I  thought  you 
would  have  known.  It  is  because  it  reminds  us  of  things 
we  have  tried  to  forget  for  thousands  of  years." 

She  whispered  her  next  question,     "What  things?" 

"The  earthly  Paradise,"  he  answered.  "There  they 
had  all  these  things;  and  they  could  bear  them,  because 
they  were  not  afraid  of — of  God.  But  afterwards!  Do 
you  suppose  Eve  ever  looked  at  a  sunset,  or  watched  the 
flight  of  a  wild  swan,  or  saw  the  moon  pass  over  water, 
or  heard  the  songs  in  the  wind,  without  being  reminded 
of  the  beauty  and  the  music  that  she  had  lost  ?  It  is  just 
that  we  feel — the  echo  of  her  eternal  regret  and  hopeless 
longing." 

"Hopeless  longing!"  she  repeated  faintly. 

"Yes,''  he  answered  firmly,  "but  it  is  far  better  to  have 
longings  which  you  know  to  be  hopeless  than  to  have 
none  at  all.  The  man  or  woman  who  has  ceased  to  long 
has  ceased  to  live,  and  exists  merely.  If  you  can  keep 
your  ideals,  the  actual  facts  of  your  life  matter  much  less." 

"I  don't  think  it  is  easy  to  keep  ideals  if  one  has  too 
much  money,"  she  sighed. 

"I  dare  say  not.  It  must  be  such  a  temptation  to  sup- 
pose that  the  things  money  will  buy  are  as  good  as  the 
things  that  can't  be  bought.  However,  that  is  a  form  of 
temptation  to  which  I  have  never  been  exposed."  He 
smiled  faintly.  "Come,"  he  added,  after  a  pause,  "I  hate 
to  hurry  you,  but  I  think  we  had  better  be  getting  on." 

She  smiled  up  at  him,  and  made  a  little  gesture  with 
her  hands  towards  the  silver  panorama  of  peaks  which 
lay  glittering  around.  "Good-bye,  Eternity!"  she  said. 

"Strange  that  you  should  say  that,  when  eternity  is 
just  the  one  thing  in  life  to  which  one  can  never  bid 
adieu,"  he  commented,  with  a  sympathetic  glance. 


254  ACASTLETOLET 

"Yes,  I  know.  But  I  can  dismiss  eternity  from  my 
thoughts,  and  not  be  afraid  of  being  myself  dismissed 
from  its  infinite  consciousness,"  she  retorted,  in  the  same 
half-playful,  half-serious  vein.  "It  is  quite  true  what 
you  said:  I  cannot  bear  it  long.  The  glorious  thought 
is  that  it  will  go  on  bearing  me  all  the  same," 

He  was  about  to  speak  eagerly,  but  he  pulled  himself 
up.  With  an  evidently  intentional  return  to  the  de- 
meanour and  speech  of  a  servant,  he  remarked :  "I  think 
there  never  was  anybody  like  my  Fraulein." 

Once  more  he  had  put  himself  and  her  back  into  their 
respective  places,  but  this  time  she  had  no  resentment. 

They  turned  away  from  the  moon  into  the  black  gully, 
and  flashed  their  torches  from  side  to  side. 

With  many  precautions  they  advanced,  steadily  but 
slowly,  until  they  stood  at  the  outer  arch  of  the  cave  lead- 
ing to  the  Gaura  Draculuj. 

Here  they  stopped,  and  the  guide  unwrapped  a  large 
package  which  he  had  been  carrying  carefully. 

"It  is  the  acetylene  lamp  off  the  motor,"  said  he  trium- 
phantly. "I  asked  Reed  to  get  it  for  me  when  he  went 
down  to  Ildestadt  yesterday." 

"Oh,  what  a  grand  idea!"  cried  the  girl.  "You  think 
of  everything!" 

"I  am  on  a  fool's  errand,"  he  answered  hurriedly,  "and 
all  I  can  do  to  excuse  myself  to  my  own  conscience  is  to 
take  every  precaution  I  can  think  of," 

She  sat  down  to  watch  him  kindle  the  light,  and  soon 
its  rays  poured  over  them  and  over  the  rocky  spot  in 
which  they  found  themselves.  She  leaned  forward,  her 
face  earnest,  her  manner  grave.  "Esler,  tell  me  the  truth. 
Look  at  me,  and  tell  me  the  truth.  Do  you  think  there  is 
any  reasonable  possibility  of  our  rousing  the  Black 
Dragon  ?" 

He  was  kneeling  on  the  grass  beside  her,   and  their 


THE    BLACK   DRAGON  255 

eyes  were  on  a  level.  He  faced  her  quietly  enough. 
"No,"  he  answered,  "I  do  not.  I  have  spent  so  many 
hours  in  the  cave  that  I  have  grown  almost  sure  that 
there  is  nothing  there  which  could  rise  out  of  the  abyss. 
If  it  were  not  for  that  one  time,  when  some  one  moved 
the  box  and  scattered  fresh  sand,  I  should  be  quite  sure; 
but  I  tell  myself  that  the  some  one  who  did  this  was 
almost  certainly  human.  I  know,  in  the  bottom  of  my 
heart,  that  if  I  thought  it  in  the  least  probable  that  there 
would  be  danger  for  you,  I  would  not  bring  you." 

She  nodded.  "I  thought  that  was  how  it  was.  Well, 
I  won't  be  too  disappointed.  But,  you  know,  I  have  heard 
it  laugh." 

He  smiled  as  if  reluctantly.  "Do  you  really  think  a 
dragon  would  be  likely  to  laugh  ?" 

"Then  what  is  it?" 

"Ah!    What  is  it?" 

He  rose  as  he  spoke  lightly  to  his  feet,  and  took  up  the 
flaming  motor  lamp.  They  entered  the  cave,  and  found 
untouched  the  first  landmark  left  by  Esler — Camiola's 
initials — upon  the  sandy  floor.  This  was  reassuring,  since 
it  had  been  placed  so  that  no  creature  of  any  bulk  could 
have ,  passed  in  or  out  of  the  cave  without  erasing  it. 
They  went  on  in  confidence,  and  he  noted,  as  they  ad- 
vanced, that  every  smallest  mark  he  had  made  was  wholly 
intact.  He  crept  first  through  the  tunnel,  into  the  cavern 
within,  lit  all  the  candles,  and  then  allowed  her  to  enter. 

"The  first  thing  I  shall  do,"  he  said,  "is  to  put  you  up 
there,  out  of  danger,  and  fix  this  acetylene  lamp  beside 
you.  Then,  if  I  should  by  any  wild  chance,  have  to  make 
a  quick  dash  for  safety,  I  shall  be  able  to  see  exactly  what 
I  am  doing."  She  agreed,  and  his  plan  was  duly  carried 
out,  she  being  helped  to  climb  to  a  point  where  a  wide 
shelf  of  rock  gave  space  upon  which  to  sit.  He  arranged 
the  lamp  carefully  upon  a  convenient  projection  above 


256  ACASTLETOLET 

her  head,  and  laid  the  loaded  gun  in  position.  Then  he 
unstrapped  his  rucksack,  containing  food,  Camiola's  knitted 
coat,  and  other  things,  and  laid  that  too  aside. 

"Iu>w,"  said  he,  seating  himself  for  a  moment  upon 
the  edge  of  the  shelf,  "are  you  ready?  Shall  we  begin 
our  experiment?" 

"Wait  a  moment,"  she  whispered,  laying  a  hand  very 
lightly  upon  his  shirt-sleeve.  "Listen!" 

For  a  moment  they  sat  so,  and  heard — most  unmis- 
takably heard — a  sound  like  a  monster  breathing  in  its 
sleep.  Regularly  it  came  and  went,  as  regularly  as  res- 
pirations. Now  and  again  it  was  punctuated  by  some- 
thing very  like  a  snore. 

"There  is  something  there,"  she  whispered.  "You  hear 
it,  don't  you  ?" 

"Yes.  But  I  have  heard  it  so  often,  and  nothing  hap- 
pens. It  may  be  the  wind,  whistling  in  through  some 
crevice.  You  can  feel  it  on  your  back,  can't  you  ? — 
the  wind,  I  mean.  There  is  a  way  up  above  there,  OUT 
into  the  open,  I  am  almost  sure,  and  I  think  the  wind 
comes  sighing  through  this  cave  in  that  way,  making 
the  noise  which  the  peasantry  take  for  breathing." 

"The  wind,"  objected  Camiola,  "could  not  make  it 
snore.  There!  Did  you  hear  the  odious  laugh?"  She 
gave  a  gasp  which  was  almost  a  sob  of  excitement. 

He  looked  earnestly  at  her.  Unconsciously  to  herself 
her  hand  had  closed  upon  his  arm,  and  he  was  sensible 
of  it  through  every  thrilling  nerve.  "Shall  we  go  home  ?" 
he  whispered.  "Let  us !  Why  should  you  be  frightened  ? 
I  won't  have  it!" 

That  brought  her  up  short.  She  released  him  with  a 
start,  and  her  eyes  flashed.  "You  won't  have  it!"  slio 
cried,  half  vexed,  half  laughing.  "It  is  for  me,  not  yon. 
to  say  what  we  will  do,  and  you  can't  really  think  I  am 
such  an  idiot  as  to  come  for  nothing." 


THE    BLACK    DRAGON  25T 

"Can  you  guarantee  your  nerve?"  he  entreated  doubt- 
fully. She  held  her  wrist  to  him.  "Feel  my  pulse  if 
you  like!  I  am  as  steady  as  this  rock." 

"If  that  is  so,  here  goes,"  he  replied;  and  slid  down, 
his  rope  like  a  monkey. 

Curled  upon  her  shelf  she  watched  him  eagerly.  He- 
had  made  a  collection  of  big  stones,  and  piled  them  con- 
veniently near  the  mouth  of  the  chasm,  as  used  to  be  done 
by  the  guides  during  the  brief  time  in  which  the  cave 
had  been  shown  to  visitors.  He  chose  a  fairly  small  one 
first,  and  launched  it  from  about  the  middle  of  the  edge. 
It  rolled  over,  and  they  heard  it  crash,  first  on  one  side, 
then  the  other,  of  the  gulf,  the  thunder  of  its  descent 
reverberating  in  the  confined  space,  and  dying  away  by 
slow  degrees,  until  it  merged  in  a  confused  noise  of" 
mingled  sounds  below.  These  sounds,  which  were  best 
to  be  described  as  snarls  or  mutterings,  died  away  by 
degrees,  as  the  two  in  the  cave  listened,  breathless. 

Esler  now  took  a  larger  stone,  and  rolled  it  in  from  a 
different  point.  Again  they  listened  to  its  descent,  with 
sounds  like  the  former;  but  when  it  finally  fell,  no  noise- 
resulted.  It  simply  died  away  into  distance. 

Two  more  were  launched,  with  varying  result,  and 
Camiola's  tension  of  nerve  began  to  relax.  In  spite  of 
the  awe-inspiring  circumstances  which  surrounded  her, 
she  was  living  in  the  twentieth  century,  and,  after  all, 
she  must  have  known  all  the  time  that  the  dragon  idea 
was  ridiculous.  When  first  they  entered  the  cave,  she 
had  been  the  victim  of  an  attack  of  panic.  She  felt 
trapped,  shut  in,  with  the  evil  thing  lurking  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth.  This  now  passed,  and  she  cried  out  to 
Esler  to  roll  down  larger  stones. 

"I  have  been  listening  keenly,"  he  said,  "and  it  is  true 
what  old  Hoffman  said:  the  stones  I  put  in  at  this  end 
go  down  the  farthest.  I  will  send  over  this  enormous^ 


258  ACASTLETOLET 

one,  launching  it  at  the  extreme  end;  and  if  that  has  no 
result,  we  may  as  well  go  home  again." 

It  was  a  block  which  he  could  but  just  set  in  motion, 
and  it  had  taken  him  hours  to  roll  it  in  from  the  outer 
cave  where  he  had  found  it.  He  manoeuvred  it  very 
carefully  forwards,  for,  as  has  been  said,  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  floor  of  the  cave  sloped  slightly  towards  the 
chasm.  The  moment  the  stone  was  on  the  slope,  it  seemed 
to  escape  from  his  control  like  a  thing  alive — if  he  did 
not  wish  to  be  carried  with  it,  he  must  let  go — and  he 
jumped  backward,  watched  by  Camiola  with  her  heart 
in  her  mouth,  as  the  huge  rock  bounded  on  over  the  verge 
at  the  extreme  end  of  the. chasm,  and  plunged  upon  its 
downward  course.  They  waited.  Fainter  and  fainter 
grew  the  sounds ;  it  was  still  descending ;  it  had  ceased  to 
fall — no!  Still  they  heard  the  echo  of  its  mad  career; 
now  it  was  silent — no,  not  yet.  Surely  now.  .  .  . 

Then  broke  on  the  ear  a  sound  they  had  not  heard  as 
yet — a  hiss  so  loud,  so  piercing  that  it  was  almost  like 
the  steam  whistle  of  a  train.  It  grew  louder,  it  was 
coming  nearer;  and  Esler,  after  standing  a  moment  like 
a  man  struck  dumb,  leaped  across  the  cave  for  his  life. 
Seizing  his  rope  he  swung  himself  up,  yet  climbed  with 
his  head  over  his  shoulder,  and  hung  upon  the  line,  await- 
ing what  should  come.  The  hissing  increased  with  in- 
credible velocity,  now  smoke  was  arising  from  the  pit — 
yes !  Old  Hoffman  had  told  the  truth.  Smoke  and  such 
heat  as  could  be  felt  were  rushing  upward.  With  a  spring 
Esler  gained  the  shelf  where  Camiola  crouched. 

The  girl  neither  spoke  nor  moved,  but  fixed  her  eyes 
upon  the  mounting  vapour. 

With  a  roar  it  burst  into  view;  it  reared  itself  over 
the  verge  of  the  fissure.  She  saw — oh,  merciful  Heaven ! 
she  saw  the  shiny  black  column  of  its  neck,  the  flat  head, 
gleaming  in  the  light ! 


THE    BLACK    DRAGON  259 

Like  one  in  a  trance  she  was  conscious  that  Esler  had 
snatched  up  the  elephant  gun,  and  that  a  shot  had  gone 
booming,  ricochetting  against  the  walls  of  the  cave.  For 
just  one  second  after  the  firing,  the  thing  remained  there 
in  full  sight,  balanced  in  an  awful,  wobbling  fashion,  with 
lolling  head,  as  though  the  shot  had  broken  its  neck.  It 
was  not  six  feet  below  the  shelf  on  which  they  were  placed. 
Then,  at  the  moment  when  Esler  desperately  essayed  a 
second  shot,  the  awful  neck  darted  forwards  as  a  snake 
strikes,  hit  the  opposite  wall  of  the  cave  with  a  terrific 
impact,  and  seemed  to  Camiola  to  vanish  in  a  cloud  of 
smoke.  Through  the  blinding  heat  and  vapour,  she  heard 
Esler's  voice,  crying  aloud  in  English: 

"By  God!  It's  water!  it's  boiling  water!  I  have 
stopped  up  some  vent  below  there!" 

Only  half  conscious,  she  felt  herself  snatched  up  and 
thrown  over  his  shoulder.  He  was  hastening,  gripping 
his  rope  with  one  hand,  along  a  rock  ledge  which  traversed 
the  cave-side  in  an  upward  slope  for  some  short  distance. 
With  instant  perception  that  the  horror  of  the  moment 
had  been  too  much  for  her,  and  that  her  brain  was  para- 
lysed as  it  is  in  nightmares,  he  had  not  paused  to  parley, 
but  simply  climbed  for  their  lives,  since  he  did  not  know 
how  high  the  boiling  water  might  rise. 

Staggering,  clinging,  striving,  till  his  muscles  stood 
out  like  cords  and  his  breath  hurt  him  as  he  drew  it,  he 
contrived  to  reach  a  higher  spot  where  he  could  set  her 
down.  Then  he  turned,  and  surveyed  what  was  beneath 
him. 

The  place  was  so  full  of  steam  that  he  could  see  noth- 
ing, but  by  the  rays  of  light  diffused  through  the  vapour, 
he  knew  that  the  flood  had  not  reached  the  shelf  where 
their  things  were  left.  It  took  him  but  a  minute  to  return 
thither,  sliding  down  by  means  of  the  higher  rope  he 
had  so  providentially  fixed  up.  Standing  upon  the  ledge, 


260  ACASTLETOLET 

he  fastened  his  riicksack  to  his  back,  and  took  up  the 
lamp.  He  could  now  see  that  the  water  had  wiped  out 
the  two  rows  of  candles  utterly,  so  it  must  be  more  than 
five  feet  deep ;  and  he  could  hear  from  the  swishing  sound 
of  it  that  it  was  moving  round  and  round.  A  momentary 
gap  in  the  shrouding  mist  gave  him  a  shuddering  glimpse 
of  a  black  flood  whirling  with  immense  velocity.  He 
dared  give  no  second  glance,  but  reascended  to  the  place 
where  he  had  left  the  girl. 

She  was  sitting  up  when  he  rejoined  her,  and  her  dilated 
eyes  and  wild,  helpless  look  struck  terror  to  his  heart. 
He  was  cursing  himself  for  a  rash  fool,  but  this  was  not 
the  moment  for  apologies  or  regrets,  or  for  anything  but 
instant  action.  Somehow  he  must  get  her  up  yet  higher, 
and  they  were  now  at  the  limit  of  the  rope.  Above,  the 
cave  wall  seemed  to  be  quite  perpendicular,  and  if  they 
slipped  upon  the  rock's  damp  surface,  they  would  both 
suffer  the  fate  which  had  doubtless  overtaken  the  unhappy 
tourists.  They  would  be  boiled  alive. 

It  seemed  to  him  a  merciful  thing  that  Miss  France 
was  apparently  not  in  a  state  to  appreciate  the  situation 
fully.  ^ 

Forcing  himself  to  be  steady  and  not  to  hurry,  he  de- 
tached the  rope  he  had  so  carefully  fixed.  The  process 
seemed  to  him  to  take  hours,  and  as  he  worked  he  thought 
he  could  hear  the  suck  of  the  unseen  whirlpool  more  dis- 
tinctly. When  he  had  the  coil  in  his  hand,  he  bent  over 
his  companion  and  spoke  in  English,  slowly,  clearly: 
"You  will  not  move  till  I  come  back.  Do  you  hear? 
Can  you  understand?" 

She  assented  by  a  motion  of  the  head,  and  he  set  him- 
self to  his  work,  moving  along,  feeling  for  hand  and  foot- 
hold in  a  desperation  which  consolidated  itself  into  a 
mighty  calm. 

In  after  years  the  thought  of  that  climb,  if  it  came  to 


T  H  E    B  L  A  C  K    D  R  A  G  O  N  261 

him,  even  in  happiest  hours,  would  bring  the  sweat  to 
his  forehead  and  set  his  heart  knocking.  No  less  than 
four  times  did  he  slip,  and  each  time  recover  himself  as 
by  a  miracle.  The  condensed  steam  was  now  pouring  in 
trickles  off  the  rock,  rendering  it  terribly  precarious. 
Below  he  had  left  the  girl,  and  he  did  not  know  whether 
he  or  the  agonising  death  would  reach  her  first.  He  had 
deposited  the  lamp  beside  her  that  the  horror  of  darkness 
might  not  be  added  to  her  plight.  It  still  burned,  so  all 
was  well,  so  far. 

Just  as  he  was  beginning  to  despair  of  finding  any 
foothold,  let  alone  resting-place,  upon  the  formidable  bas- 
tion of  rock,  he  found  that  his  hand,  extended  to  grope, 
was  slipping  over  a  kind  of  lip.  Raising  himself  with 
a  new  hope  he  crawled  over,  and  found  himself  in  a  place 
of  vantage.  The  cave  at  this  point  sloped  gently  upward 
and  backward,  in  a  long  shoot,  or  arched  tunnel,  strewn 
with  loose  stones,  where  evidently  at  times  flood  water 
poured  through. 

If  he  could  get  his  companion  up  here  they  were  saved. 
Would  time  and  strength  suffice  for  the  wild  venture  ? 

To  his  unspeakable  thankfulness,  he  found  a  jagged 
tooth  of  rock  strong  enough  to  hold  the  rope.  Inspired 
with  his  new  hope  he  secured  it  with  speed  and  effectively. 
Then,  still  with  extreme  caution,  he  let  himself  down  bit 
by  bit  until  he  was  able  to  reach  the  girl  and  the  lamp. 

The  sound  of  the  swirling  water  was  certainly  plainer 
now — the  heat  appalling.  He  guessed  that  the  mass  of 
mineral  matter  spewed  forth  in  the  first  burst  must  have 
silted  up — altogether  or  in  part — the  tunnel  of  exit,  so 
that  the  torrent  was  mounting  more  quickly  than  it  could 
pour  away. 

He  stooped  over  the  brink,  and  drew  up  a  bit  of  the 
lower  rope.  The  part  which  had  been  immersed  was  so 
hot  that  it  almost  scalded  his  fingers.  Hacking  off  a 


262  ACASTLETOLET 

length  with  his  knife,  he  bade  the  girl  stand  up,  and  lashed 
her  to  his  back.  Then  he  secured  the  noose  of  the  upper 
rope  round  them  both,  so  that,  even  should  he  slip,  they 
would,  by  God's  grace,  fall  only  the  length  of  the  cord. 
He  gave  her  some  instructions  rapidly,  hardly  knowing 
what  he  said.  Then,  fighting  back  the  thought  of  what 
lay  below,  or  the  realisation  of  his  own  foolhardy  daring, 
saying  to  himself,  "There  is  no  other  way,"  he  set  him- 
self to  scale  the  rock,  carrying  her  thus. 

If  he  let  go,  and  if  the  rope  broke  with  the  sudden 
strain  of  their  combined  weight,  there  awaited  them  a  fate 
too  horrible  for  contemplation. 

Some  part  of  Camiola's  brain  must  have  been  working, 
for  she  did  exactly  what  he  told  her,  making  use  of  any 
small  leverage  to  relieve  him  of  a  part  of  her  weight,  and 
seeming  to  find  hand-hold  where  he  had  found  none. 
The  sweat  was  pouring  off  him,  his  shirt  was  wringing 
wet  with  the  steam,  as  though  he  were  in  a  Turkish  bath. 
The  stifling  heat  seemed  to  drain  his  strength,  the  awful, 
dank  smell  produced  hardly  controllable  nausea.  But  he 
kept  on  doggedly,  desperately,  telling  himself,  in  endless 
repetition:  "If  I  fail,  we  are  both  lost!" 

Just  as  he  thought  his  heart  would  burst — just  as  the 
rope  seemed  to  bite  to  the  very  bone  of  his  lacerated 
hands,  they  reached  the  lip  of  the  shoot.  Camiola  leaned 
an  elbow  upon  it,  levered  herself  up,  hung  on  with  all 
her  might,  and  somehow,  in  an  unseemly  scramble,  of 
which  afterwards  he  never  liked  to  think,  he  found  that 
they  were  both  over  the  edge. 

For  a  minute  he  crouched  there  on  hands  and  knees, 
while  terrible  pants,  like  sobs,  shook  him.  Then  he  sum- 
moned all  his  resolution,  felt  for  the  knots  that  bound  her 
to  him,  and  slowly  succeeded  in  untying  them. 

Staggering  to  his  feet,  he  seized  a  bit  of  her  gown, 
and  dragged  her  with  him  up  the  shoot,  stumbling  among 


THE    BLACK    DRAGON  263 

the  loose  stones,  until  they  reached  a  point  where  he  felt 
sure  she  would  be  safe  for  the  moment.  \ 

"You  must  sit  down  and  wait  here,"  he  told  her 
hoarsely,  "while  I  go  back  once  more — just  once  more — 
for  the  lamp." 

This  had  been  too  large  for  him  to  dare  attempt  to 
bring  it  up  with  them.  But  he  felt  he  ought  to  return 
and  fetch  it.  The  pain  in  his  hands  was  so  acute  that  he 
was  half  afraid  to  try  his  weight  upon  the  rope  again. 
Yet  that  was  contemptible.  He  crept  to  the  verge,  and 
sat  down,  tearing  his  handkerchief  in  two,  winding  it 
round  his  wounds,  and  securing  it  with  his  sailor  neat- 
ness— that  ability  to  tie  a  rope  so  that  it  would  hold, 
which  had  saved  two  lives  that  night.  As  he  sat  he  could 
hear  the  roar  and  bubble  of  the  flood,  like  a  beast  baulked 
of  its  prey.  The  steam  was  still  so  thick  that  he  could 
not  see  anything  below,  except  the  radiance  of  the 
acetylene  beams  illumining  the  vapour;  and  even  as  he 
gazed,  suddenly  the  light  went  out.  Darkness  fell  over  all. 

The  water  had  already  reached  the  place  they  had  so 
lately  left ! 

So  narrow  a  plank  between  themselves  and  that  eter- 
nity upon  which  they  could  not  bear  to  gaze  too  long! 

He  found,  to  his  surprise,  that  the  thing  struck  him  as 
funny.  He  even  began  to  laugh  a  little,  feebly  at  first, 
as  he  brushed  aside,  with  hands  that  shook,  the  moisture 
which  streamed  from  his  forehead  down  into  his  eyes. 
Then  he  realised  that  if  he  once  gave  way  to  laughter  he 
would  yell.  He  could  fancy  his  own  voice  ringing  through 
the  pitch  black  cave  in  wild  peals  of  mirthless  cachinna- 
tion.  The  thought  recalled  him  to  Miss  France.  She 
would  be  afraid,  if  she  heard  him  making  a  fool  of  him- 
self. She  was  probably  afraid  now  of  the  sudden  dark- 
ness. He  pulled  his  small  electric  lamp  from  his  pocket, 
and  dragged  his  weary  feet  back  to  her  through  the  stones. 


264  ACASTLETOLET 

By  the  time  lie  reached  her,  he  had  succeeded  in  con- 
trolling the  muscles  of  his  mouth,  and  he  said,  in  a  trem- 
bling voice:  "We  were  only  just  in  time." 

She  lifted  pathetic  eyes  to  his,  and  held  her  hands  to 
the  sides  of  her  head.  "We  have  been  in  danger,  haven't 
we  ?"  she  said  stumblingly,  using  her  own  language. 

He  could  see  that  she  was  not  herself,  but  the  sound  of 
her  voice,  asking  a  rational  qiiestion,  reassured  him  a 
little. 

"Yes,  but  I  think  we  are  safe  now.  To  make  sure, 
however,  let  ns  go  on  a  little  farther." 

He  picked  up  the  rucksack,  and  motioned  to  her  to 
follow  him.  She  did  so,  obediently  and  in  complete 
silence. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

ESLEE    HOLDS    OUT 

THE  girl's  thin  garments,  like  his  own,  were  drenched 
with  steam  as  though  she  had  been  immersed  in  water. 
Down  the  tunnel  they  were  ascending  came  a  distinct 
draught  of  air.  While  they  were  still  moving,  they  were 
not  so  sensible  of  it;  but  when  at  last  they  paused,  quite 
worn  out,  for  a  rest,  the  wind  blew  keenly  upon  their 
damp  bodies  through  their  summer  clothing. 

"We  had  better  not  stop  here,"  said  Esler  uneasily, 
'•'we  shall  catch  our  death." 

"Oh,  please  let  me  stop,"  pleaded  the  girl's  voice  meekly. 
"I — I  don't  quite  know  why,  but  I  feel  as  if  I  could  not 
move.  The — the  awful  thing  can't  get  us  here,  can  it?" 

"]So,  no,"  he  answered,  "we  are  safe  enough  here,  I 
am  sure." 

"Then  I  must  wait — a  little,"  she  almost  whispered. 
"I  will  go  on  soon — as  soon  as  I  can." 

He  looked  round.  Presently  he  spied  a  recess  in  the 
rock  where  they  would  be  screened  from  the  down-draught 
which  traversed  the  chimney. 

Stooping  down  and  feeling  the  ground,  he  found  that 
it  was  covered  with  a  dry  and  faded  moss.  He  led  her 
thither,  and  made  her  sit  down.  Then,  unfastening  the 
rucksack,  he  took  out  her  coat  and  wrapped  her  in  it. 
He  produced  a  flask  of  wine,  and  made  her  drink.  She 
did  so  obediently.  He  filled  up  the  cup  and  drank  him- 
self, where  her  lips  had  touched. 

265 


266  ACASTLETOLET 

' 

That  did  him  good,  and  he  began  to  collect  his  thoughts, 
and  to  try  and  decide  what  he  must  immediately  do. 

The  shoot,  some  way  up  which  they  were  now  situated, 
was  in  shape  rather  like  the  trumpet  of  a  gramophone, 
widening  out  immensely  at  the  mouth.  The  Gaura  Dra- 
culuj  at  that  height  was  at  least  twice  as  wide  as  it  was 
on  the  level  of  the  cave  floor.  The  water  must  spread  so 
far  when  it  reached  the  lip  of  the  shoot  that  he  thought 
it  almost  certain  that  it  could  not  rise  much  higher,  espe- 
cially as  it  must  by  now  be  escaping,  to  some  degree, 
v through  the  low  tunnel  of  entrance.  They  had  ascended 
at  least  a  hundred  feet  up  among  the  loose  stones;  and 
he  was  so  utterly  exhausted  by  his  recent  effort  that  his 
very  limbs  were  shaking. 

Above  them,  as  he  could  see  by  turning  the  beam  of  his 
torch  upward,  the  tunnel  grew  much  smaller.  He  looked 
doubtfully  at  the  girl,  who  was  leaning  against  the  rock, 
quite  motionless,  but  with  widely  opened  eyes,  which 
seemed  to  see  something  invisible. 

"Fraulein,"  he  said  softly,  speaking  in  German  now, 
"do  you  feel  ill?" 

She  turned  then,  and  looked  at  him  fully,  passing  her 
hand  over  her  brow.  "There  is  such  a  pain  in  my  head," 
she  faltered.  "What  has  happened  ?  I  am  so  cold  and 
wet." 

He  took  his  own  coat  out  of  the  rucksack  and  ap- 
proached her.  "I  am  going  to  climb  higher,  and  see 
what  is  up  there,"  he  said  reassuringly,  though  he  was 
devoured  with  a  terrible  anxiety.  "Meanwhile,  you  lie 
down  here  and  rest.  You  are  perfectly  safe.  Have  you 
your  own  lamp  ?" 

She  had  it  with  her,  but  on  account  of  the  powerful 
light  of  the  motor  lamp  she  had  not  needed  hitherto  to 
use  it  She  now  produced  it,  and  he  fixed  it  alight. 

"I  won't  leave  you  in  the  dark,"  he  said.    He  scraped 


ESLER    HOLDS    OUT  267 

up  handfuls  of  the  dry  moss  and  withered  vegetation — 
remains  of  some  inundation — which  grew  in  the  depres- 
sion of  the  rock,  and  made  her  a  sort  of  pillow  with  the 
empty  riicksack  laid  over  them.  Then,  bidding  her  lie 
down,  he  covered  her  with  his  coat,  and,  promising  to 
return  as  quickly  as  he  could,  he  went  on  up  the  shaft. 
For  some  distance  it  was  large  enough  for  him  to  walk 
upright.  Then  he  had  to  creep,  and  the  pain  of  his  hands 
made  his  progress  severely  penitential.  The  fresh,  cool 
air  which  blew  down  convinced  him  that  he  was  not  fol- 
lowing a  blind  alley ;  and  before  very  long  he  had  wriggled 
himself  out  of  a  jagged-edged  hole,  and  saw  the  stars.  ^ 

He  returned  with  a  lightened  heart,  and  much  quicker 
than  he  had  gone.  He  had  been  away  about  half  an  hour. 

He  found  Camiola  sleeping  deeply  and  calmly.     She 
was  curled  up  in  what  looked  like  a  restful  attitude,  and 
appeared  both  warm  and  comfortable.    If  she  was  safe,  it  - 
seemed  more  humane  to  leave  here  where  she  was.     To* 
ascertain  whether  this  was  wise,  he  crept  carefully  down 
all  the  way  to  the  lip  of  the  shoot,  and  found  the  volume 
of  steam  less.    He  could  still  hear  the  water,  and  the  heat  • 
was  still  great,  but  he  was  practically  certain  that  not 
only  had  the  flood  not  risen  since  he  last  examined  it, 
but  that  it  had  perhaps  fallen  slightly. 

If  it  had  not  risen,  it  was  fair  to  assume  that  it  would 
not  now  come  any  higher.  No  doubt  it  had,  by  its  own 
force,  washed  a  passage  clear  for  itself  below,  and  was 
now  escaping  almost  as  fast  as  it  rose.  »••;] 

Once  more  he  dragged  himself  back  to  the  niche  where 
he  had  left  Miss  France.  Still  she  slept,  and  he  felt  it 
might  be  unwise  to  awaken  her.  She  had  suffered  acute 
shock,  and  nature  was  avenging  herself.  He  sat  stiffly 
down,  his  back  propped  against  a  rock,  his  arms  folded. 

The  rays  of  the  lamp  showed  him  her  delicate  little 
profile,  which  looked  very  young  and  soft  and  childish 


268  ACASTLETOLET 

in  the  relaxation  of  sleep.  Her  hair  lay  in  rings,  damp 
on  her  white  forehead ;  her  lashes  showed  dark  and  thick 
upon  her  pale  cheek. 

For  some  minutes  he  sat,  chin  propped  on  hand,  gazing 
at  her.  Her  failure  of  nerve  had  surprised  him,  but  it 
had  also  given  a  new  aspect  to  his  feeling  for  her.  She 
seemed  a  being  in  need  of  cherishing  and  tenderness. 
There  was  no  trace  at  all  of  the  spoilt,  domineering  heir- 
ess in  this  helpless,  badly  frightened  girl. 

With  a  little  start  Camiola  awoke.  For  a  long  minute 
she  did  not  know  where  she  was,  nor  what  had  awakened 
her.  She  perceived  a  grey  glimmer  of  twilight  and  two 
tiny  green  lamps  at  about  the  level  of  her  own  eyes. 
Lying  without  motion,  she  made  out  the  shape  of  some- 
thing that  crept  on  all  fours,  something  that  showed 
patches  of  black  and  white — an  animal  of  some  kind. 
How  came  an  animal,  with  eyes  that  gleamed  in  the  dark, 
in  her  own  bedroom  ?  She  made  a  movement,  lifted  a 
hand ;  like  a  shadow  the  creature  was  gone,  melting  into 
the  surrounding  gloom. 

Was  she  still  asleep  ?  Her  pillow  must  have  got  pushed 
away,  for  she  was  cramped  and  stiff  and  aching.  She 
raised  herself  cautiously  into  a  sitting  posture  and  felt 
about  her.  Though  the  light  was  dim,  she  could,  after 
a  while,  distinguish  objects,  and  by  degrees  her  surround- 
ings impressed  themselves  upon  her. 

She  was  sheltered  in  a  niche,  behind  a  projection  of 
rock,  and  beyond  this  nook  a  rocky  passage  sloped  up- 
ward, making  a  shaft  down  which  there  slanted  a  ray  of 
faint  light. 

Quite  near  her  Esler  sat,  his  back  propped  against  the 
rock,  in  the  profound  slumber  of  complete  physical  ex- 
haustion. His  electric  torch  was  on  his  knee,  his  revolver 
lay  under  his  hand. 


ESLER   HOLDS    OUT  269 

He  was  very  white,  almost  green,  he  wore  only  his  shirt 
and  knee  breeches,  and  his  hands  were  bound  in  bloody 
rags.  His  head  was  thrown  back,  showing  the  fine  lines 
of  his  throat  and  the  slope  of  the  muscles  along  his  athletic 
shoulders.  She  touched  his  hand.  It  was  so  icy  cold 
that  for  a  moment  she  feared  he  might  be  dead.  His  coat 
had  been  used  to  cover  her,  and  she  felt  a  movement  of 
remorse  which  almost  brought  tears. 

She  snatched  up  the  garment  and  wrapped  it  carefully 
about  him,  then  hurriedly  searched  the  pile  of  things  he 
had  taken  from  the  rucksack,  and  found  food  and  wine. 
Memory  was  alert  now;  she  remembered  all  that  had 
happened  up  to  the  moment  of  the  incredible  apparition 
of  the  Black  Dragon.  She  recalled  her  own  annihilating 
terror,  the  pounce  of  the  wicked  black  head,  the  thunder- 
ing noise,  the  blinding  smoke — and  a  voice  that  had  cried : 
"It's  water!  Boiling  water!" 

Boiling  water!  She  sat  back  upon  her  heels,  staring 
at  him.  How  they  had  got  to  the  place  wherein  they  found 
themselves  she  knew  not. 

Her  movements  awoke  him,  and  he  sat  up  with  a  cry. 
"I — I've  not  been  to  sleep,"  he  stammered  confusedly; 
"only  closed  my  eyes  a  minute — kept  a  look  out !" 

She  turned  upon  him  a  look  of  affectionate  reproach, 
shaking  her  head  as  at  a  froward  child.  "You  kept  me 
warm  at  your  own  cost,"  she  said.  "You  are  as  cold  as  a 
stone,  and  I  am  much  displeased." 

The  blood  rushed  over  his  strained,  white  face.  She 
was  herself  again — the  Camiola  he  knew.  Also,  her 
thought  was  for  him. 

"I  ought  not  to  have  slept,"  he  stammered;  "but  since 
you  are  safe "  He  made  an  effort  to  rise. 

"Sit  still,"  she  said.  "Drink  this" — she  held  out  the 
cup — "and  tell  me  what  you  have  done  to  your  hands." 

He  was  glad  of  the  wine,  and  thanked  her  gratefully. 


270  ACASTLETOLET 

"That's  nothing,"  he  added,  glancing  at  his  fingers ;  "they 
only  got  a  bit  chafed  by  the  rope.  We  had  to  climb,  you 
know." 

She  sat  staring  at  him  remorsefully.  "Oh,  Esler,  what 
did  I  do?  I,  who  guaranteed  my  nerve.  Did  I  faint?" 

"Do  you  remember  what  happened  ?"  he  asked  curiously. 

She  puckered  her  brow  in  an  effort  to  recall  exactly 
what  she  did  remember.  "I  saw — I  saw  the  dragon," 
she  whispered.  "Its  head  came  shooting  out  of  the  pit, 
with  a  long  neck — yards  long!  There  was  smoke  and 
heat,  and  it  struck  the  opposite  wall,  and  you  called  out : 
'It's  boiling  water !' '  She  looked  at  him  curiously.  He 
seemed  just  as  usual,  allowing  for  his  pallor  and  the  most 
unusual  disorder  of  his  appearance. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "what  next?" 

"I  hardly  remember.  I  suppose  I  must  have  fainted. 
When  I  first  remember  anything  I  was  tied  to  you,  and 
you  were  undoing  the  knots.  My  head  hurt,  and  I  was 
wet.  Did  I  fall  into  the  water?" 

"Thank  God,  no.  If  you  had" — suddenly  his  voice 
broke,  he  leaned  forward  and  hid  his  face  in  his  hands — 
"if  you  had " 

After  a  pause  she  whispered:  "Was  it  really  boiling 
water  ?" 

"Yes." 

"What  became  of  it?" 

"It  rushed  into  the  cave,  and  filled  it  with  a  soil;  of 
whirlpool.  The  force  was  so  tremendous  that  I  suppose 
it  could  not  find  its  way  out.  It  rose  and  rose 

She  drew  a  long  breath.  "We  have  been  in  terrible 
danger." 

"As  near  death  as  any  two  could  be  without  dying," 
he  answered.  And  after  a  long,  solemn  silence  he  asked 
wistfully  : 

"Can  you  forgive  me?" 


ESLER    HOLDS    OUT  271 

"Forgive  you  ?    For  saving  my  life  ?" 

"For  bringing  you  into  such  awful  danger." 

"The  danger  was  my  doing,"  she  answered.  "The 
rescue  was  yours." 

"To  put  it  like  that  is  just  your  angel-goodness."  He 
was  too  much  moved  to  say  more. 

Presently  she  spoke  again.  "At  least,  we  have  pierced 
the  heart  of  the  mystery,"  she  began,  then  checked  her- 
self and  gave  a  cry  so  sudden  and  piercing  that  he  sprang 
to  his  feet,  thinking  the  water  must  be  rising  still.  "Oh, 
I  beg  your  pardon,  I  could  not  help  it ;  the  thought  struck 
me  like  a  stab!  Was  that  what  happened  to  them — to 
those  poor  souls  who  were  lost  ?" 

He  knelt  down  and  spoke  soothingly.  "Obviously  it 
was  what  happened  to  them,  only  the  guide  on  that  occa- 
sion did  not,  I  suppose,  do  the  trick  as  thoroughly  as  I 
did  last  night.  There  must  be  a  boiling  spring  down 
there,  and  I  stopped  up  its  course.  It  collected  in  the 
tube,  and  was  thrust  up  by  the  enormous  pressure  of  the 
water  behind.  Yes,  the  same  thing  doubtless  happened 
then.  They  were  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap.  The  water 
rushed  up,  swept  round,  gathered  them  all  in,  and  then, 
having  somehow  got  rid  of  the  obstructing  stone,  sank 
again,  with  them  in  its  clutches,  leaving  only  the  silt 
and  fine  sand  deposit  behind  it.  Its  own  fierce  heat 
dried  everything  up,  so  that  two  days  later  there  was  no 
sign  of  anything  having  happened  out  of  the  way." 

"Xo,  no,"  she  sobbed,  wringing  her  hands,  "that's. too 
awful !  I  can't  believe  it !  Oh,  think  what  a  .death ! 
What  a  death!  .  .  .  And  those  poor  little  bits  of  things 
you  found!" 

"Yes.  I  suppose  during  those  weeks  that  I  did  not 
come  here — at  the  time  when  my  box  was  washed  away 
and  the  new  deposit  came  up — there  must  have  been  an 
overflow  of  some  kind.  It  was  in  the  springtime,  when 


272  ACASTLETOLET 

all  the  streams  are  flooded,  and  something  must  have  got 
into  the  hot  spring  which  partly  stopped  it  up  for  a  few 
hours.  I  expect  it  was  then  that  a  bit  of  rock  gave  way 
down  below  and  let  the  bones  through  into  that  cave 
where  Conrad  went." 

There  was  no  answer  but  her  tears. 

"Fraulein,  it  must  have  been  a  quick  death — very 
rapid;  they  cannot  have  been  for  long  in  pain,"  he  sug- 
gested pleadingly. 

"And  that  is  the  death  we  only  just  escaped  last  night  ?" 
she  cried. 

He  assented. 

"Let  us  be  quiet  a  minute  and  thank  God,"  she  sobbed. 

So  they  knelt  side  by  side  in  silence  for  a  while,  and 
she  managed  to  subdue  her  weeping. 

"What  time  is  it  now?"  she  whispered  presently. 

He  found  his  watch  unbroken  in  his  breeches  pocket. 
"I  wound  it  up  before  we  started,"  he  remarked.  "It  is 
now  a  quarter  past  five." 

"How  are  we  going  to  get  home  ?"  she  asked. 

"We  can  get  out  up  above,  Fraulein.  I  ascertained  that, 
before  betraying  my  trust  and  sleeping  at  my  post.  Even 
if  the  water  has  gone  down,  which  I  doubt — I  am  afraid 
I  stopped  it  up  too  completely — we  could  not  descend  that 
way  without  very  great  difficulty.  But  before  we  set 
off,  I  will  go  and  look  down  and  see  what  is  happening." 

"Let  me  come  too,"  she  begged.  And  they  rose  and 
descended  the  shoot  together  as  far  as  the  edge. 

All  below  them  was  dark  as  Erebus,  but  they  could 
hear  the  slapping  and  clucking  of  water.  Esler  held  his 
torch  as  far  out  as  he  could,  but  only  curling  mist  was  to 
be  seen.  "I'm  afraid  the  motor  lamp  is  gone,"  he  avowed 
regretfully.  "I  intended  to  go  back  for  it,  but  I  was  too 
late ;  the  water  reached  it  first." 


ESLER    HOLDS    OUT  273 

"Esler,"  she  cried  passionately,  "how  could  you  do  it? 
How  could  you  get  me  up  this  place  ?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  was  half  mad,  I  think.  The  cour- 
age of  despair,"  he  returned  with  a  curious  smile.  "Come, 
let  us  get  home  as  fast  as  we  can." 

He  rose  and  pointed  up  the  shaft. 

"See!  There  is  a  perceptible  beam  of  light  coming 
down !  The  hole  is  big  enough  for  you  to  be  able  to  get 
out,  and  I  think  I  know  about  where  we  shall  find  our- 
selves. But  before  we  start  let  us  eat  some  breakfast." 

They  went  back  to  their  niche,  and  while  she  spread 
out  the  food  she  told  him  how  she  had  been  awakened 
by  the  visit  of  a  weird  black  and  white  person  with 
green  eyes. 

"A  badger,"  he  told  her ;  "there  are  plenty  hereabouts, 
and  they  bite  like  fiends.  I  am  glad  he  was  afraid  of 
you !  Luckily  they  are  the  shyest  beasts  ever  made.  But 
it  makes  me  all  the  more  ashamed  to  think  that  I  fell 
asleep  while  on  guard." 

"I  don't  wonder  you  did!  Tired  is  a  poor  word  to 
express  what  you  must  have  felt." 

"Oh,  it  wasn't  tired!  It  was  the  horror!  I  don't 
mean  the  horror  of  the  thing  itself,  but  your  collapse 
and  the  dread  lest  I  should  not  be  able  to  save  you.  For 
a  time  I  really  did  think  we  were  hopelessly  trapped  and 
should  share  the  fate  of  those  others." 

"I  can't  think  what  happened  to  me,"  she  said  won- 
deringly. 

"You  said  your  head  pained  you.  I  was  horribly 
alarmed.  I  thought  the  shock  had  been  too  much  for 
your  brain.  Have  you  any  pain  in  your  head  now?" 

"A  bad  headache,  but  those  I  often  have.  Food  will 
do  it  good." 

They  sat  down  accordingly,  ate  and  drank,  and  felt  im- 
measurably refreshed.  When  they  had  done,  Esler  packed 


274-  ACASTLETOLET 

up  all  with  his  accustomed  neatness,  though  he  could  really 
hardly  use  his  hands.  Camiola,  who  had  a  length  of  band- 
age with  her  in  the  little  wallet  she  carried  at  her  waist, 
urgently  begged  to  be  allowed  to  bind  them  up  more  scien- 
tifically, but  he  refused  on  the  ground  that  the  blood  had 
now  caked  upon  them,  and  would  be  better  undisturbed 
until  the  wounds  could  be  bathed. 

She  gave  in,  and  they  set  out  to  breast  the  slope.  The 
loose  stones  made  it  a  nasty  climb,  and  when  the  hole 
grew  small  it  was  anything  but  pleasant  going.  The  air 
and  the  increasing  light,  however,  cheered  her  on,  and  at 
last  they  emerged  into  the  glorious  pearly  dawn,  on  a 
desolate  mountain  side,  whereon  Camiola,  by  herself, 
would  have  been  hopelessly  lost. 

Esler,  however,  knew  his  bearings,  and  after  a  long 
scramble,  during  which  they  were  obliged  once  or  twice 
to  retrace  their  steps,  they  came  out  upon  the  path  to  the 
summit,  a  little  above  Mezo  Bolo,  whence  the  descent 
home  was  easy. 

They  sat  down  to  rest  for  a  few  minutes  beside  the 
way,  for  they  had  been  doing  strenuous  work,  and  had 
been  obliged  to  face  some  awkward  bits  of  scrambling 
which  he  would  have  wished  to  spare  her. 

They  both  looked  more  natural  now — the  colour  had 
come  back  to  Esler's  face,  and  Camiola's  eyes  had  lost 
their  pathetic  stare.  They  were  both  oddly  dishevelled, 
and  their  clothes,  hands  and  faces  caked  with  whitish  mud 
and  flecked  with  green  smears. 

There  had  been  a  long  silence  between  them,  when 
suddenly  the  girl  turned  to  him  and  spoke  in  a  puzzled 
way: 

"But  you  said  it  in  English !" 

He  jumped  perceptibly.  "I  beg  your  pardon,  Friiu- 
lein?" 


ESLER    HOLDS    OUT  275 

"Yon  said:  'It's  water!  It's  boiling  water!'  I  know 
you  did ;  I  remember  it  clearly." 

He  smiled,  looking  down  at  his  knees.  "It  is  my  mis- 
fortune that  I  have  no  English."  he  said  primly. 

Camiola  contemplated  him.  He  had  not  changed 
colour,  and  he  sat  quite  still.  His  mouth1  was  set  obstin- 
ately. 

The  tears  rushed  into  her  eyes.  She  turned  her  head 
from  him,  and  tried  to  swallow  them  down.  After  all 
they  had  been  through  together,  after  their  having  looked 
death  in  the  face,  still  he  shut  her  out,  still  he  lied  to  her, 
still  he  acted  a  part  before  her. 

She  had  been  through  a  great  deal,  was  exhausted,  and 
not  quite  mistress  of  herself,  and  she  trembled  on  the 
brink  of  an  outburst.  She  controlled  herself,  however. 
She  had  her  pride.  Slipping  down  from  the  stone  whereon 
she  sat,  she  told  him  briefly  that  she  was  going  on. 

They  proceeded  in  silence  some  short  way.  Then  Esler 
paused.  ''We  must  leave  the  path  here,"  he  said,  "and 
go  through  the  wood — that  is,  if  you  wish  to  get  in  by 
the  secret  stair  without  being  seen." 

She  followed  him,  with  a  bare  assent,  and  went  on, 
still  not  speaking.  She  could  see  that  her  silence  dis- 
turbed him,  for  he  several  times  looked  anxiously,  half 
pleadingly,  at  her.  She  disregarded  this  completely,  and 
thus  they  passed  together  through  the  fairyland  of  the 
birch  wood,  while  the  sun  peeped  over  the  peaks  and 
slanted  down  upon  the  beauty  of  the  Ildenthal. 

Suddenly  Camiola  paused  and  gave  a  little  cry. 

He  was  going  before  in  order  to  be  ready  to  help  her 
in  steep  bits  of  the  descent,  and  he  looked  back  quickly. 
"What  is  it?"  he  asked  anxiously. 

"A  sudden,  sharp,  mysterious  pain,"  she  faltered  in 
English,  holding  her  hand  to  her  side. 

"Where?"  he  cried  in  German. 


276  ACASTLETOLET 

Camiola  threw  back  her  head  and  laughed  tauntingly 
in  his  face. 

"So  I  have  proved  you  a  liar,"  she  said  bitterly.  "I 
spoke  in  English,  and  you  understood  perfectly.  Xot 
that  it  matters  much.  Only  it  is  as  well  to  be  sure." 

He  was  for  a  moment  overcome.  He  hung  his  head, 
while  the  crimson  colour  rushed  to  his  face.  Then  he 
made  a  passionate  gesture. 

"Yes,  it  is  true,"  he  said  quietly  in  English.  "I  am 
a  liar  and  a  hypocrite.  I  do  both  speak  and  understand 
English." 

"Then  why,"  cried  Camiola,  "why  conceal  it?  What 
was  the  good  of  such  a  thing?" 

"You  saw  me  as  a  peasant,"  he  muttered  sullenly. 
"You  took  me  for  a  peasant.  I  wished  you  to  do  so, 
and  I  knew  that  as  long  as  I  spoke  only  German  you 
would  not  detect  that  I  was  something  different.  If  you 
heard  me  speak  English,  as  now,  you  would  have  known 
— you  must  have  known — that  I  do  not  belong  to  the 
lower  classes ;  and  as  I  am  living  like  a  workman,  earning 
only  a  workman's  wages,  it  was  intolerable  to  my  pride 
that  you  should  know  me  for  what  I  am.  It  was  still 
more  intolerable  that  the  other  men  should.  I  thought  I 
could  carry  it  through  all  right.  I  would  have  done, 
only " 

"Only  what  ?" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Only  something  hap- 
pened which  I  had  not  foreseen,"  he  remarked  grimly. 
"ISTow  you  have  dragged  out  my  secret,  and  you  can  give 
me  away  to  the  others." 

"If  you  want  me  to  respect  your  confidence,"  she  said, 
"you  should  confide  in  me.  On  the  contrary,  you  have 
done  all  you  can  to  deceive  me." 

"That  is  not  quite  just.  I  have  kept  from  you  only 
my  private  concerns.  I  have  served  you  as  faithfully  as 


ESLER    HOLDS    OUT  277 

I  could.    I  cannot  see  that  it  really  matters  to  you  whether 
I  speak  English  or  not." 

She  stood  listening,  and  her  lip  quivered.  "I  will  try/' 
she  remarked,  "not  to  take  any  interest  in  you,  since  that, 
apparently,  is  what  you  do  not  like." 

lie  made  a  small  sound,  indicative  of  distress,  but  did 
not  speak  for  a  minute.  At  last  he  said,  as  if  to  encour- 
age himself:  "It  is  only  for  another  week." 

She  looked  up.     "Another  week  ?" 

"I  am  going  away,"  he  murmured,  staring  at  the 
ground. 

Camiola  felt  a  most  disconcerting  sinking  of  the  heart. 
"Going  away  in  a  week  ?" 

"Yes.  I  have  a  job — a  better  job.  I  am  leaving  my — 
aunt.  You  will  not,  I  hope,  be  inconvenienced  by  my 
going.  I  have  arranged  with  the  under  gardener  to  do 
my  work  here." 

Camiola  went  slowly  onward  as  if  her  feet  moved  me- 
chanically, without  her  will.  There  had  come  to  her  a 
flash  of  insight,  and  she  saw  clearly  that  Esler  had  much 
better  go — the  sooner  the  better. 

"If  that  is  so,"  she  told  him,  "there  is  no  more  to  be 
said.  I  shall  repeat  nothing  of  what  you  inadvertently 
allowed  me  to  discover  just  now.  As  you  point  out,  it  is 
no  concern  of  mine." 

"That  is  like  your  usual  goodness,"  he  said  humbly. 
"I  owe  you  more  than  I  could  repay  in  a  lifetime." 

"I  think  you  repaid  it  last  night,"  she  replied  coldly. 
"I  fail  to  see  what  I  have  done  for  you  in  any  way.  I 
have  wanted  to  help  and  sympathise,  but  you  have  shut 
me  out." 

Even  as  she  spoke  she  was  telling  herself  how  unwise 
she  was  to  talk  to  him  like  this. 

"Yes,"  he  replied  huskily.  "I  have  shut  you  out,  I  am 
glad  to  say.  It  has  been  hard,  but  I  have  done  it.  I 


278  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

thought  to-night  would  be  the  last  time,  and  that  I  could 
go  on  doing  it  just  till  this  morning."  He  took  a  great 
breath,  and  looked  at  her  with  hard,  flashing  eyes  and  a 
heightened  colour.  "In  spite  of  what  has  happened  to- 
night I  am  going  to  hold  out  still,"  he  said,  very  low. 
"You  wouldn't  have  me  behave  like  a — like  a — cad?" 

She  met  his  look.  Something  passed  between  them — 
some  message — she  hardly  knew  what.  She  only  knew 
that  he  was  offering  her  the  chance  of  safety,  that  the 
present  moment  was  fraught  with  danger,  that  she  was 
weak,  and  that  he  was  taking  pity  on  her  weakness.  To- 
morrow she  would  be  glad — yes,  glad  to  have  been  saved 
from  madness. 

"You  are  right,"  she  said,  almost  inaudibly.  "You 
and  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  each  other." 

"Good-bye,"  he  muttered  breathlessly. 

They  were  not  home  yet,  but  she  knew  what  he  meant. 
All  was  to  be  finished  now.  She  gave  him  her  hand.  He 
took  it,  raised  his  cap  from  his  curly  fair  head,  and  bent 
over  the  grubby  little  fingers.  She  felt  his  lips,  gentle 
and  considerate. 

Then,  with  a  slight  bow,  he  let  fall  her  hand,  replaced 
his  cap,  turned  his  back,  and  went  on. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

BED    BROCADE 

"A  QUARTER  to  eight,  miss,"  observed  Marston,  flinging 
back  the  casement  curtains  and  letting  in  the  glory  of 
the  morning. 

"Oh,  Marston,  please  draw  those  curtains!  I  can't 
bear  the  light!  My  head  aches  like  everything!" 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?  You  were  very  well  last 
night  ?"  demanded  Marston  in  displeasure,  coming  to  the 
beside.  "Shall  I  bring  you  some  aspirin?" 

"No,  thanks.  I  got  up  and  took  some  a  while  ago. 
Give  me  a  cup  of  tea;  that  will  do  me  more  good  than 
anything,  and  I  won't  get  up  for  an  hour  or  so." 

Marston  laid  her  hand  upon  the  girl's  forehead,  and 
remarked  that  she  had  no  fever.  "But  what  in  the  world 
have  you  done  with  your  arm?"  she  cried  in  consterna- 
tion, pointing  to  a  long  mark,  partly  cut,  partly  graze, 
partly  scratch,  which  streaked  the  white  flesh  for  several 
inches. 

"Perfectly  disgusting,"  said  Camiola  fretfully.  "I  did 
it  against  the  bedpost,  reaching  over  in  the  dark.  I  didn't 
know  it  was  so  bad !" 

"Dear,  dear — there  must  be  a  nail  in  the  wood,"  fumed 
Marston.  "However  came  you  to  be  so  clumsy?  Did 
YOU  knock  your  head  against  it  too  ?  Here's  a  nasty  little 
cut  on  your  forehead." 

"Oh,  I  did  that  yesterday  against  a  rock  in  the  garden. 
It  never  rains  but  it  pours,  you  know,  Marston.  Did  you 
ever  in  your  life  knock  yourself  about  that  yon  did  not 

C79 


280  ACASTLETOLET 

infallibly  repeat  the  process  within  the  next  few  hours  ? 
Oh-h-h,  I  do  feel  so  stupid !  Pour  out  my  tea  and  let  me 
go  to  sleep  again." 

"I'll  just  get  some  hot  water  and  bathe  that  nasty 
scratch,"  said  Marston,  as  she  prepared  the  hot  and  fra- 
grant cup.  "It  looks  quite  angry,  that  it  does,  and  a  nice 
thing  it  would  be  to  have  your  arm  scarred  just  above  the 
wrist  where  it  shows  so  badly." 

She  moved  about  the  room,  preparing  a  fomentation, 
and  finding  lint  and  boracic  ointment.  "Goodness  me, 
how  you  carry  up  the  mould  and  such  out  of  the  garden, 
miss !  Here's  a  lump  of  soil  on  your  nice  rug  as  big  as 
a  walnut." 

"Oh,  Marston,  what  a  fuss  you  are  making  this  morn- 
ing just  because  I  tell  you  I  feel  seedy !  Do  please  leave 
off  talking  and  draw  the  curtains." 

Marston  obeyed  with  an  ill  grace.  She  did  not  like 
her  young  mistress  to  have  headaches.  It  was  unlike  her. 
She  finished  her  bandaging  of  the  arm,  and  went  on  into 
Miss  Purdon's  room  to  grumble  to  her  of  the  fluctuating 
condition  of  Miss  France's  health  and  temper. 

Camiola  sipped  her  tea,  with  wide  eyes  that  saw  noth- 
ing outwardly.  She  was  confronting  all  the  time,  in 
thought,  the  set  lips  and  obstinate  jaw  of  a  young  man 
who  was  going  away  in  a  week. 

Why,  she  asked  herself,  had  she  been  so  weak,  so  in- 
effectual ?  Why  had  she  not  insisted  upon  an  explanation 
from  him? 

She  knew  that  it  was  because  she  was  overwhelmed 
with  a  torrent  of  sensations  to  which,  so  far,  she  had  been 
a  stranger.  The  ground  had  been  giving  way  under  her 
feet.  Her  gay  confidence  in  life,  her  absorption  in  the 
present  moment,  her  vehement  interest  in  the  Black 
Dragon,  and  the  secret  of  the  Great  Disappearance — all 
alike  were  whelmed  and  smothered  under  the  weight  of 


RED    BROCADE  281 

this  new  emotion  which  was  tearing  at  her  heart  strings. 

What  Esler  had  said  was  true.  As  long  as  she  took 
him  for  a  Transylvanian  peasant  she  had  been  safe.  No 
amount  of  interest,  however  keen,  in  a  peasant  would 
have  struck  her  as  dangerous — as  likely  to  interfere  for  a 
moment  with  her  peace  of  mind.  When  he  spoke  to  her 
as  an  equal — using  her  own  tongue  with  the  ease  of  a 
native  and  the  purity  of  a  gentleman — all  was  changed. 

They  were  faced  with  a  problem,  and  he  decided  that 
it  was  better  for  her  not  to  resolve  it.  He  took  the  de- 
cision into  his  own  hands — he  assumed  the  responsibility. 
He  was  going  away,  and  she  knew  it  was  because  he 
dared  not  stay.  "I  thought  to-night  would  be  the  last 
time — /  am  going  to  hold  out." 

The  words  rang  in  her  ears.  They  told  her,  without 
explicit  confession,  that  the  fascination  he  had  from  the 
first  exerted  over  her  had  been  mutual.  His  apparent 
hostility,  his  coldness,  his  reticence,  had  been  only  the 
armour  which  he  wore — the  shield  he  interposed  between 
himself  and  her. 

He  was  an  Englishman  here  in  obscurity;  it  followed, 
then,  in  hiding.  This  thought  brought  an  uncomfortable 
colour  to  her  face.  What  could  an  educated  Englishman 
be  doing  in  this  remote  spot,  passing  as  a  peasant,  passing 
AS  Frau  Ester's  nephew  ? 

There  must  be  something  to  account  for  such  a  state 
of  things.  Who  could  he  be?  It  seemed  most  unlikely 
that  Frau  Esler  would  do  for  any  casual  stranger  what 
she  was  doing  for  this  young  man.  He  could  not  really 
be  her  nephew.  Then  who  was  he?  Could  he  by  any 
chance  be  a  member  of  the  other  branch  of  the  family? 

Otho  had  told  her  that  his  mother  had  an  elder  sister, 
who  married  what  he  described  as  an  English  Predikant 
named  Westonhaugh.  She  had  been  boycotted  by  her 


282  A    CASTLE    TO   LET 

aristocratic  family  in  consequence.    Could  this  young  man 
be  her  son? 

A  moment's  reflection  showed  this  to  be  a  most  unlikeh 
conjecture.  Mrs.  Westonhaugh  had  displeased  her  family 
by  her  marriage,  but  it  was  a  valid  marriage  for  all  that. 
If  young  Esler  were  her  son,  then  he  was  heir  of  Orenfels 
in  place  of  Otho,  and  there  seemed  no  conceivable  reason 
for  his  concealing  his  identity. 

Ko,  that  was  nonsense.  He  must  be  something  differ- 
ent. She  could  only  suppose  that  he  was  a  social  outcast 
of  some  kind,  who,  seeking  a  hiding-place,  had  come  upon 
Orenfels,  and  had  so  kindled  the  affections  of  Frau  Esler 
that  she  consented  to  pass  him  off  as  her  nephew  and  give 
him  an  asylum.  The  spot  was  so  isolated  that  they  might 
well  look  upon  the  risk  of  discovery  as  but  slight.  The 
theory  accounted  for  the  Erau's  avowed  displeasure  when 
the  castle  was  let,  her  unwillingness  to  allow  Esler  to 
come  into  contact  with  the  English  visitors,  and  so  on.  \ 

Then  there  broke  upon  Camiola's  mind  the  fact  of  the 
concealed  woman  who  had  been  ill.  In  immediate  suc- 
cession to  this,  the  doctor's  visit,  the  cry  of  the  newborn 
infant  which  she  had  heard. 

The  answer  to  a  part  of  her  puzzle  stared  her  in  the 
face.  Esler  was  a  married  man.  The  child  was  his 
child.  She  remembered  the  exaltation  with  which  he 
had  answered  her  inquiry  as  to  the  health  of  the  patient. 
She  remembered  his  face  as  she  had  seen  it  in  her  drc;::-, 
full  of  joy  and  triumph. 

.!N"o  wonder  he  had  felt  that  the  intercourse  between 
himself  and  her  must  cease!  She  had  shown  him — yes, 
actually  shown  him — glimpses  of  what  she  felt !  Her 
hands  clenched,  her  face  crimsoned  as  she  thought  cf 
this.  She  flung  herself  prone  upon  her  pillows,  hid  her 
eyes,  shook  with  mortification  and  rage.  She  wished  with 
all  her  heart  that  Otho  had  not  taken  it  upon  himself  to 


RED    BROCADE  283 

go  away  just  at  that  time !  She  would  have  engaged  her- 
self to  him  within  the  next  few  hours  had  he  been  at 
hand !  She  was  filled  with  a  wild  desire  to  announce 
herself  as  engaged  and  see  how  Esler  looked,  how  he  took 
it,  if  it  hurt  him ! 

Ah,  what  a  fool  she  was!  How  she  had  put  herself 
into  this  man's  power !  How  she  had  let  him  see — what  ? 

She  went  feverishly  back  in  memory,  through  the  inci- 
dents of  their  acquaintance,  through  the  hours  they  had 
passed  together.  She  came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  she 
had  betrayed  her  feeling  it  was  not  to  the  same  extent 
to  which  he  had  betrayed  his. 

He  had  owned  his  temptation.  Hers  may  have  been 
implied,  but  it  was  not  admitted.  For  this,  at  least,  she 
was  grateful  to  him. 

What  now  remained  to  do  was  to  forget  him  as  fast 
as  possible  and  to  cultivate  Otho.  She  could  not  but 
believe  that  she  might  have  Otho  if  she  chose  to  give  the 
necessary  encouragement.  In  their  last  walk  together 
he  had  sought  an  opening  not  once,  but  repeatedly.  Xext 
time  he  should  have  better  luck. 

In  reflections  of  this  kind  she  lost  herself.  They  blotted 
out  the  memory  of  the  strenuous  hours  passed  in  the  cave. 
The  horrible  solution  of  the  mystery,  which  they  had 
demonstrated  so  unexpectedly,  faded  into  the  background 
of  her  thoughts. 

She  wrestled  only  with  the  detestable  fact  that  there 
had  sprung  up  within  her  a  feeling  of  surprising  strength, 
and  that  this  feeling  must  be  stamped  upon,  crushed  out, 
abolished.  How  could  such  a  state  of  mind  have  come 
aboul?  How  was  it  that,  all  unknown  to  her,  the  thing 
had  grown  so  huge,  had  flung  its  roots  so  wide?  She 
suspected  that  no  future  affair  could  have  the  poignancy 
of  this — that  the  man  she  would  marry,  whoever  he  might 
be,  could  never  awaken  in  her  such  intensity  of  feeling 


284  ACASTLETOLET 

as  had  been  called  to  life  by  this  man  she  could  never 
marry. 

"So  all  the  wretched  novels  are  right,"  she  thought 
despairingly.  "They  always  tell  you  this.  I  am  sup- 
posed to  be  free  to  choose,  to  be  able  to  marry  as  pleases 
me  best.  And  it  is  a  vain  boast.  I  cannot  marry  as  I 
choose.  I  shall  probably  end  by  marrying  some  one  to 
whom  only  half  of  me,  or  less,  can  ever  belong." 

It  sounded  very  tragic,  so  tragic  that  it  brought  the 
tears  flowing.  Seldom,  indeed,  was  it  that  Camiola  wept ; 
and  on  this  occasion  she  made  her  pillow  quite  wet. 

Mizpah  knocked  by  and  by  to  know  whether  she  might 
come  in,  and  was  pettishly  refused.  Camiola  cried  her- 
self to  sleep. 

She  woke  about  midday,  feeling  more  normal.  She 
drank  some  soup,  had  her  bath,  and  dressed.  She  would 
not  admit  Marston  until  she  had  clothed  herself  com- 
pletely, for  her  body  bore  marks  of  more  abrasions  and 
bruises  than  could  be  at  all  accounted  for  by  any  amount 
of  ingenious  fibbing. 

The  sound  of  merry  voices  from  the  tennis-court  with- 
out came  to  her  ears  as  she  sat  at  her  toilet-table,  and 
made  her  think  how  lonely  she  was — how  far  outside  the 
easy  lives  of  these  happy  young  people. 

She  had  taken  the  precaution,  when  she  crept  into  her 
room  that  morning,  to  brush  out  her  hair  and  pick  the 
bits  of  moss  from  it.  But  Marston,  as  she  smoothed  and 
coiled  it,  paused  now  and  then  to  examine  the  white  scalp 
in  a  most  annoying  way,  and  once  contemplated  some- 
thing in  the  brush  so  earnestly  that  Camiola  grew  quite 
nervous. 

The  maid  said  nothing,  however,  and  about  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  before  the  lunch  horn  blew  the  mistress  of  the 
castle  strolled  out  upon  the  terrace. 


RED    BROCADE  285 

She  was  greeted  with  welcoming  shouts.  Mizpah,  it 
appeared,  had  heard  from  Otho,  and  he  said  he  had  se- 
cured his  leave  and  should  he  back  by  Monday  next. 

Camiola,  with  joy,  seized  upon  this  method  of  diverting 
her  thoughts.  Since  the  return  of  von  Courland  was 
assured,  she  would  send  out  her  cards  for  the  party  at 
once.  She  summoned  both  the  girls  to  help  in  the  busi- 
ness, and  they  set  to  work  directly  after  lunch,  dispatch- 
ing Erwald  down  to  Ildestadt  to  catch  the  evening  post 
with  the  notes. 

Camiola  then  decided  that  she  would  make  an  early 
start  the  following  morning  with  Reed,  take  the  car,  and 
go  to  Hermannstadt,  to  order  all  that  she  needed  in  the 
way  of  decorations  and  provisions  such  as  were  not  pro- 
curable in  Ildestadt.  This,  she  thought,  would  be  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  replacing  the  lost  acetylene 
lamp.  There  was  a  motor  garage  of  a  kind  there  where 
some  things  could  be  procured. 

The  whole  party,  after  lunch,  proceeded  up  to  the 
garret  floor,  to  reconnoitre  and  decide  exactly  what  Herr 
Xeumaim  must  be  asked  to  supply. 

Camiola,  on  this  occasion,  merely  asked  Frau  Esler 
for  the  key,  which  was  very  grudgingly  handed  over.  The 
party  made  a  great  noise,  and  Conrad  rushed  up  and 
down  the  passages,  and  swung  from  the  beams  of  the 
roof  in  the  loose-boxes,  as  he  called  them ;  the  baby,  how- 
ever, made  no  sound.  It  slept  through  everything. 

In  the  course  of  their  discoveries  they  came  upon  a  chest 
in  which  the  key  had  been  left.  Camiola,  opening  it, 
found  it  to  be  full  of  clothes. 

They  were  very  carefully  folded  and  laid  away  with 
camphor,  and  were,  apparently,  extremely  old. 

Upon  being  taken  out  and  unfolded  they  proved  to  be 
court  dresses  of  the  early  eighteenth  or  late  seventeenth 
century.  There  were  three  complete  costumes  for  men 


286  ACASTLETOLET 

and  three  for  ladies.  Camiola  was  inspired  by  the  idea 
of  dressing  up  in  them  for  dinner  that  night.  Eagerly 
she  took  them  out,  one  by  one,  and  eagerly  the  others 
examined,  appraised  them,  and  held  them  up  to  see  whom 
they  would  best  fit.  Even  Bassett  was  quite  enthusiastic 
on  the  subject. 

At  the  very  bottom  of  the  chest  Camiola  came  upon 
a  red  gown.  It  was  of  brocade,  and  was  of  a  different 
fashion  from  the  others,  which  were  sacque  and  petticoat 
costumes.  This  was  in  fashion  more  like  the  style  which 
we  used  to  call  "princess" — clinging  tightly  to  the  figure 
as  far  down  as  the  hips,  and  flowing  thence  in  folds.  It 
was  cut  square  at  the  top,  and  edged  with  delicate  gold 
embroidery,  which  was  hardly  tarnished. 

The  funny  thing  about  it  was  that  Camiola  felt  sure 
she  had  seen  the  dress  before — even  that  she  had  worn  it. 
She  knelt  there,  with  the  thing  in  her  hands,  smoothing  it 
over,  and  recalling  to  herself  the  fact  that  she  had  lifted 
the  flowing  train,  and  put  it  over  her  arm  on  some  occa- 
sion which  she  remembered  perfectly. 

Then  suddenly  she  knew.  It  was  in  her  dream.  When 
Esler  had  entered  her  room  by  the  secret  door,  and  she 
had  arisen  from  bed  and  followed  him,  she  had  worn  this 
brocade  gown.  That  seemed  incredible. 

She  looked  wistfully  from  one  of  the  girls  to  the  other, 
from  Irmgard,  her  own  devoted  friend,  to  Betty,  who 
was  growing  dear  to  her,  and  wondered  why  she  could 
not  tell  either  of  them  about  this  curious  dream  or  about 
her  knowledge  of  the  red  gown. 

Her  decision  that  this  was  the  one  she  would  wear  was 
greeted  with  delight  by  the  others,  for  both  Betty  and 
Irrngard  were  wildly  anxious  to  see  themselves  in  sacque 
and  petticoat.  They  decided  to  wear  powder,  and  do  the 
thing  properly,  and  presently  flew  downstairs  to  call 
Marston  and  the  nice  girl,  Rahula,  who  waited  upon  the 


RED    BROCADE  287 

two  young  ladies,  and  see  what  tuckers  or  stitches  were 
necessary  to  make  the  dresses  wearable. 

Of  the  three,  Camiola's  red  brocade  turned  out  to  be 
the  one  that  fitted  the  best.  It  must  have  been  worn  by 
a  woman  of  much  her  height  and  size.  Camiola  decided 
that  powder  could  not  be  worn  with  a  gown  of  that  shape, 
but  that  her  hair  should  be  clubbed  at  the  back  of  her 
neck  with  a  black  velvet  bow. 

The  fortunate  find  kept  them  interested  and  busy  all 
the  afternoon,  and  by  degrees  the  stiffness  of  Camiola's 
limbs  wore  off,  and  she  regained  some  of  her  elasticity, 
both  of  body  and  mind.  They  had  tea  upon  the  lawn, 
and  afterwards  lay  about  on  the  grass,  reading  novels 
until  the  time  came  to  go  and  don  the  costumes  feloniously 
abstracted  from  the  family  stores. 

It  was  a  party  worthy  of  the  old  traditions  of  Orenfels 
which  descended  the  stairs  to  dine  that  night. 

Esler,  who  had  not  appeared  all  day,  was  at  his  post 
at  the  buffet  as  they  came  down,  and  Camiola,  without 
seeming  to  look  at  him,  saw  him  grow  perfectly  white 
and  watch  her  descent  as  though  he  had  received  a  violent 
shock. 

"Hallo,  Esler,"  cried  Conrad  loudly,  "don't  fall  off 
your  perch  with  horror  because  the  girls  have  been  thiev- 
ing !  You  shouldn't  let  them  loose  up  there  in  the  garrets 
among  the  old  chests !" 

"Conrad !"  said  Mizpah  reprovingly,  "be  quiet.  You 
know  perfectly  well  that  Captain  von  Courland  would  be 
only  too  delighted  to  see  his  family  costumes  set  off  to 
such  advantage.  Had  I  not  felt  absolutely  sure  of  his 
consent,  I  should  have  begged  Camiola  not  to  use  the 
things." 

"I  don't  see  that  his  consent  much  matters,"  replied 
Camiola  carelessly,  almost  recklessly.  "He  can't  kill  us 
because  we  have  dressed  up  in  these  old  things.  He  need 


288  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

never  know,  in  fact,  that  we  did  it.  We  can  put  them 
all  away  again  to-morrow." 

"Oh,  but  I  should  like  to  see  Otho,  too,  dressed  up," 
cried  Conrad  eagerly.  "There  are  some  more  things  in 
another  chest,  'Miola,  and  I  want  us  to  have  another 
dress-up  evening  when  he  comes  back  to  celebrate  the 
occasion." 

"That's  quite  a  good  idea,  Con,"  cried  Camiola.  "Cap- 
tain von  Courland  has  just  the  face  and  figure  to  look 
well  in  these  clothes." 

"Yes,  hasn't  he?"  cried  Betty,  and  checked  herself, 
blushing. 

"I  shall  be  very  pleased  when  he  returns,"  remarked 
Miss  Purdon.  "We  seem  to  be  an  incomplete  party  with- 
out him." 

She  privately  thought  that  the  state  of  matters  was 
clearly  proved  by  Camiola's  freakish  behaviour.  If  the 
affair  really  was  to  come  off,  it  would  be  as  well  to  take  it 
philosophically. 

That  evening,  while  the  young  people  were  playing 
"Coon-can,"  Miss  Purdon  had  occasion  to  go  to  her  room 
for  something.  She  heard  a  movement  in  Camiola's  room, 
the  door  of  communication  being  open,  and  after  a  min- 
ute Marston  came  to  the  entrance  and  said  in  a  low  voice : 

"Is  that  you,  Miss  Purdon  ?" 

"Yes.     Is  anything  the  matter,  Marston?" 

"Come  in  here  a  minute,  miss." 

Mizpah  went  in.  Upon  a  table  Marston  had  laid  out 
the  clothes  in  which  Camiola  had  been  to  the  Gaura  Dra- 
culuj.  There  was  a  skirt  simply  caked  with  dirt,  and 
stiff  and  wrinkled  as  though  it  had  been  wringing  wet. 
There  was  a  pair  of  boots  scratched,  muddy,  and  still 
damp.  There  was  a  knitted  coat,  clammy  and  smeared 
with  the  greenish  moisture  which  runs  off  trickling  walls 


RED    BROCADE  289 

— torn  also,  and  what  Marston  described  as  "thoroughly 
messed  up." 

"I  think,  miss,  it  is  only  right  I  should  show  you  these," 
said  the  woman  in  a  low  voice.  "All  this  has  been  done 
between  the  time  Miss  France  went  to  bed  last  night 
and  the  time  she  got  up  this  morning." 

"Marston!  What  do  you  mean?" 

"They  were  pushed  away,  miss,  down  in  a  corner  of 
her  wardrobe,  and  I  should  not  have  found  them  but  I 
was  looking  for  something  else.  When  I  came  into  her 
room  this  morning,  she  wouldn't  let  me  draw  back  the 
curtains,  and  she  had  a  long  cut  on  her  arm  and  a  bruise 
on  her  forehead.  Her  basin  was  full  of  dirty  water,  and 
her  hair,  when  I  brushed  it  later  on,  had  bits  in  it — bits 
of  that  stuff  you  see  on  trees,  miss.  What  do  they  call  it  ? 
Lichen,  yes,  that's  it.  £Tow  where  has  she  been  and  what 
had  she  been  doing  to  get  herself  in  such  a  state?  Can 
she  go  out  alone  at  night  upon  these  mountains?  Why, 
she  might  be  killed — fall  down  one  of  these  precipices 
and  nobody  the  wiser." 

"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  Camiola  left  the  house 
in  the  night  and  got  her  clothes  in  this  state  ?"  said  Miss 
Purdon,  unable  to  believe  her  ears. 

"She  must  have  done,  miss,  unless  somebody  else  uses 
her  clothes.  All  these  things  were  hanging  in  her  ward- 
robe yesterday  evening,  brushed  and  tidy." 

Miss  Purdon  sat  down,  eyeing  the  forlorn  garments 
helplessly.  "How  extraordinary!"  she  repeated  vaguely. 
"Where  could  she  go,  and  why  ?" 

Marston  hesitated.  "If  you  please,  miss,  I  am  not  one 
to  repeat  gossip ;  but  Reed,  he  says  that  young  Esler  bor- 
rowed the  big  acetylene  motor  lamp  off  him  yesterday  and 
has  not  brought  it  back." 

"Young  Esler!" 

"Yes,  miss.     If  Miss  France  does  go  out  at  night,  I 


290  A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

think  we  may  take  it  as  certain  that  she  does  not  go  alone. 
Of  course,  miss,  I  know  it  is  all  right — she  is  a  young 
lady  with  a  dignity  of  her  own;  it  is  the  danger  I  am 
thinking  of,  if  she  goes  into  places  where  she  gets  herself 
in  such  a  state." 

Miss  Purdon  went  downstairs  again  in  a  bewildered 
condition  of  mind.  Cainiola,  she  supposed,  was  on  the 
track  of  the  Black  Dragon.  It  was  a  curious,  she  now 
thought  a  significant,  fact,  that  of  late  the  girl  had  been 
silent  on  the  subject.  Bassett  had  not  said  anything  to 
Mizpah  of  the  suspicions  of  young  Esler  which  Seville 
had  imbibed  from  General  Maldovan.  She  was  not  un- 
easy on  that  account,  but  the  idea  of  the  girl's  secret  noc- 
turnal expeditions  gave  her  a  little  shock.  Every  now 
and  then  she  came  upon  some  such  evidence  that  she  did 
not  understand  Camiola,  and  had  never  enjoyed  her  con- 
fidence. 

She  advised  Marston  to  say  nothing  at  all  upon  the 
subject,  either  to  Miss  France  or  to  anybody  else;  but 
she  herself  determined  to  speak  a  word  to  Mr.  Bassett  as 
soon  as  she  could  get  a  convenient  chance.  She  had 
noticed,  at  dinner,  as  Esler  handed  plates,  that  his  fingers 
were  bound  up  as  though  he  had  injured  them.  If  he 
was  really  taking  Camiola,  at  night,  into  dangerous 
places,  it  must  somehow  be  stopped. 


CHAPTEE  XXVI 

THE    MIDNIGHT    BAPTISM 

THE  night  of  the  Orenfels  ball  had  come.  The  guests, 
numbering  eighteen  in  all,  had  ridden  up  on  mules  during 
the  afternoon,  had  tea,  and  then  retired  to  dress  for  the 
evening. 

Camiola,  Mizpah,  Irmgard  and  Betty  were  dressing 
under  great  difficulties,  and  with  enormous  hilarity,  in 
the  garret  which  they  shared  with  Marston  and  Rahula 
for  the  night.  Each  had  a  cubicle,  with  a  bed,  a  chair, 
a  very  small  washstand  with  a  truly  Continental  ewer  and 
basin,  a  tiny  looking-glass  hung  upon  the  wall  above  the 
washstand,  a  little  table,  and  a  strip  of  rug  beside  the  bed. 

That  was  all ! 

Nothing  daunted,  however,  the  girls  rigged  up  a  big 
toilet-table,  with  a  mirror  of  useful  size,  in  one  of  the  six 
divisions,  and  took  it  in  turns  to  have  their  hair  done. 
Irmgard  had  assured  them  that,  in  spite  of  Otho's  dec- 
laration to  the  contrary,  very  few  of  their  visitors  would 
desire  the  luxury  of  a  bath  in  the  morning,  so  they  had 
brought  their  beloved  tin  tubs  upstairs  with  them. 

Otho,  in  capital  health  and  wild  spirits,  had  arrived 
that  morning,  and,  with  Seville,  Bassett  and  Conrad,  was 
sharing  the  next  big  garret.  It  was  a  glorious  picnic  for 
everybody,  and  the  K.C.  seemed  to  be  enjoying  it  as  much 
as  anybody. 

Miss  Purdon  and  he  had  been  carefully  on  the  watch 
during  the  past  week  for  any  nocturnal  wanderings  on 
the  part  of  Camiola.  Nothing  of  the  kind  had  taken  place. 

291 


292  ACASTLETOLET 

They  also  watched  unremittingly  for  any  signs  of  com- 
munication between  her  and  Esler.  Of  this  likewise  they 
had  seen  nothing.  The  weather  during  a  part  of  the  week 
had  been  wet,  but  on  every  fine  day  they  had  gone  on 
some  expedition.  Esler  was  not  present  on  any  of  these 
occasions.  Except  for  his  daily  attendance  at  the  buffet 
of  an  evening,  he  might  as  well  not  have  been  in  the  house 
at  all. 

Camiola  was  absorbed  in  the  preparations  for  her  party, 
the  polishing  of  the  gallery  floor,  the  consultations  with 
Ilerr  Neumann,  who  in  person  was  to  superintend  the 
supper  arrangements,  the  contrivance  of  extra  sleeping 
accommodation,  and  so  on. 

She  kept  a  brave  front,  but  inwardly  she  suffered  a 
great  deal.  It  had  not  seemed  possible  to  her  that  she 
could  feel  such  keenness  of  pain,  and  for  such  an  ap- 
parently inadequate  reason. 

She  had  allowed  her  feelings  to  escape  from  her  con- 
trol, and  the  effort  to  gather  them  in  again  was  severely 
painful. 

During  the  half-hour  or  so  each  day  that  Esler  was  in 
the  same  room  with  her,  she  neither  looked  at  him  nor 
spoke  to  him.  At  other  times,  if  she  saw  him  in  the 
grounds,  she  walked  the  opposite  way. 

One  day  she  was  sitting,  as  she  often  did,  in  the  oriel 
window  of  her  own  room,  gazing  out  upon  the  sunny  gar- 
den. She  noticed,  idly,  that  she  had  left  her  novel  upon 
the  marble  seat  on  the  tennis  lawn,  with  her  handkerchief 
between  the  pages  as  a  marker.  As  she  gazed  she  saw 
Esler  coming  up  the  hill  with  a  basket  of  Erench  beans  on 
his  arm.  He  was  not  looking  well.  The  effect  of  his 
effort  that  night  in  the  cave,  his  wonderful  achievement 
in  bringing  her  out  of  danger,  had  not  yet  worn  off.  There 
were  purple  shadows  under  his  eyes,  and  his  face  looked 
thinner. 


THE    MIDNIGHT    BAPTISM        293 

He  passed  slowly  before  the  bench,  and  his  eyes  turned 
upon  what  lay  there.  He  stood  still  a  moment,  looking; 
then,  as  if  reluctantly,  he  went  on. 

His  feet  lagged,  he  hesitated,  turned  back,  stood  a  mo- 
ment with  his  back  between  her  and  the  things  she  had 
left  lying  there.  When  he  moved  away  the  handkerchief 
had  been  abstracted  from  the  book,  and  he  walked  off 
rapidly,  with  bent  head,  holding  something  to  his  lips. 

Camiola  felt  furious.  That  night,  when  he  set  her 
soup-plate  before  her,  she  said,  in  the  tone  of  abrupt  com- 
mand which  she  rarely  if  ever  used  to  a  servant : 

"I  left  a  handkerchief  in  the  garden  this  afternoon  upon 
the  marble  seat.  Please  fetch  it." 

He  finished  carrying  round  the  course,  went  out  of  the 
room,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  reappeared  with  the  hand- 
kerchief, neatly  folded,  upon  a  tray.  She  took  it  without 
comment,  without  daring  to  look  at  him ;  but  she  knew  she 
had  hurt  him  cruelly. 

That  was  best.  He  was  going  away  in  a  very  few  days 
now — each  morning  brought  the  time  nearer.  He  was 
nothing  to  her,  had  refused  her  his  confidence.  It  was 
best  that  they  should  not  be  on  friendly  terms — they  who 
never  could  be  friends. 

On  this  night,  in  spite  of  the  excitement  of  the  moment, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  Otho  was  back,  and  that  she  meant 
— fully  meant — to  give  him  his  chance  some  time  during 
the  evening,  the  thought  of  Esler  was  haunting  her.  She 
dwelt  on  the  memory  of  his  white,  exhausted  face,  and 
the  cold  of  his  limbs  when  she  had  awakened,  warm  and 
safe,  in  the  tunnel  above  the  Gaura  Draculuj.  She 
thought  of  his  faultless  behaviour,  all  that  night,  and  on 
every  occasion  when  they  had  been  alone  together.  He 
was  a  gentleman — an  English  gentleman;  then  what  was 
he  doing  masquerading  as  a  peasant  at  Orenfels  ?  The  in- 
sistence of  the  question  was  maddening.  Yet  she  never 


294  ACASTLETOLET 

once  for  a  moment  dreamed  of  sharing  her  distress  of 
mind  with  Irmgard,  still  less  with  Mizpah. 

She  looked  upon  the  whole  matter  as  a  disgrace,  a  stain 
upon  her  girlhood,  a  lamentable  deviation  which  must  be 
smothered  in  her  own  heart  forever.  She  had  only  to  be 
strong  for  a  couple  of  days  more — to  "hold  out,"  as  he 
himself  had  said — and  it  would  be  all  over.  Her  aberra- 
tion would  be  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  she  would  in  process 
of  time  forget  it. 

She  was  dressed  and  ready  to  meet  her  guests. 

Supper  was  laid  out  in  the  dining-hall,  the  drawing- 
room  was  for  couples  sitting  out,  and  a  bridge  table  was 
also  arranged  there  for  the  sake  of  one  or  two  elders  who 
were  present.  At  one  end  of  the  gallery  was  a  buffet  for 
light  refreshments,  and  the  steaming  coffee  urns  had  just 
been  carried  in,  when  Camiola  pushed  open  the  secret 
door  which  led  from  the  garrets  and  emerged  into  the 
long,  clear  space,  the  floor  gleaming  in  the  light  of  lamps 
and  clusters  of  wax  candles. 

She  was  looking  her  very  best.  Since  that  evening  in 
Truro  Gardens,  so  few  weeks  ago,  she  had  gained  much. 
In  spite  of  her  having  grumbled,  while  being  dressed  this 
evening,  that  living  on  the  mountains  spoilt  you  for  wear- 
ing evening-dress,  the  effect  of  her  gown  was  perfect. 
It  was  white  and  silver,  and  she  wore  La  France  roses  in 
compliment  to  her  own  name. 

One  solitary  disc  of  court  plaster,  very  small,  upon  her 
left  shoulder  was  all  that  was  needed  to  cover  her  scars, 
her  long  white  gloves  concealing  the  cut  upon  her  arm. 

Conscious — as  what  girl  is  not  conscious — of  being  ad- 
mirably gowned  and  looking  remarkably  nice,  she  went 
up  to  Herr  Neumann  and  congratulated  him  upon  his  ar- 
rangements. He  replied  with  voluble  compliments  upon 
her  beauty,  and  an  emphatic  wish  that  the  Ildenthal  might 
never  lose  so  fair  and  generous  a  patroness.  She  smiled 


295 

and  bowed  in  response  to  his  gallantry  with  a  better  grace 
than  had  been  possible  on  the  last  occasion  when  he 
launched  forth.  It  was  no  longer  out  of  the  question  that 
she  might,  after  all 

Then  the  secret  door  burst  open,  and  Conrad  rushed  out 
in  all  the  glory  of  a  dinner  jacket  and  a  real  shirt  front, 
Caraiola  having  presented  this  attire  for  the  occasion. 
He  caught  her  about  the  waist  and  waltzed  down  the  gal- 
lery with  her,  to  the  intense  delight  of  all  the  waiters, 
looking  on  enraptured. 

By  degrees  others  assembled,  the  noise  of  chatter  and 
laughing  grew  louder.  Herr  ISTeumann  poured  out  coffee 
and  insisted  that  the  young  mistress  should  drink  it  while 
she  had  a  chance. 

After  this  the  band  arrived,  and  was  established,  and 
presently  dancing  began. 

"Ah !"  whispered  Otho  to  Betty,  as  he  took  her  pro- 
gramme from  her,  "you  are  wearing  blue !  In  my  thought 
of  you,  you  wear  always  blue — like  the  V '  ergiss-mein.'- 
nicht — what  you  call  it  in  English  ?" 

"We  call  it  just  the  same,"  murmured  Betty,  looking 
down.  "Forget-me-not." 

"It  was  what  I  wanted  to  say  when  I  was  going  away, 
only  I  had  not  the  bravage — I  mean  the — the  muih,  you 
know!" 

"The  courage,"  whispered  Betty. 

"Yes,  the  courage.  I  have  been  dreaming  each  night 
of  lifting  you  in  mine  arms  and  bearing  you  down  the 
river  bank,  and  of  your  small  hands  upon  my  neck." 

"Oh,"  said  Betty,  rising  hurriedly,  "don't!  I  wish 
you  would  not!  In  England  we  do  not  talk  like  that;  I 
mean,  of  course,  unless " 

"Unless?" 

She  was  much  embarrassed.  "I  mean — a  man  would 
only  talk  like  that  to  one  girl — to  the  girl  he " 


296  ACASTLETOLET 

"The  girl  he — loved?"  Otho's  voice  was  magically 
soft. 

"Yes,"  agreed  Betty,  crimson. 

"Well,  then,  why  tell  me  not  ?"  demanded  Otho  de- 
lightedly. "I  do  only  what  they  do  in  England,  it  seems." 

"Oh,"  cried  Betty,  scared,  "but  you — you  mustn't! 
You  are — surely  you  are — going  to  marry  Camiola." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  he  asked,  gazing  right  into  the 
girl's  limpid  eyes.  He  had  the  delight  of  seeing  her  lashes 
fall  and  the  colour  flood  riotously  over  her  fair  face. 

"Come,"  he  said,  "let  us  dance  now.  This  waltz  can 
speak  to  you  of  much  I  cannot  say.  I  have  so  small  Eng- 
lish, but  there  is  much  the  music  shall  plead  for  me." 

His  arm  went  round  her,  and  they  moved  away  together. 
Down  the  long  gallery  Betty  was  floating  in  a  dream. 
Why,  ah,  why  did  people  say  such  horrid  things  about 
foreigners  ?  Was  not  Otho  a  foreigner  ?  Was  he  not 
beyond  compare,  the  most  delightful,  the  most  gallant  gen- 
tleman she  had  ever  known?  Surely  she  need  not  con- 
sider Camiola,  Miss  France,  with  her  great  fortune,  who 
would  always  have  lovers  at  her  feet !  He,  Otho,  might 
actually  have  had  the  heiress,  and  preferred  her,  little 
Betty ! 

It  did  not,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  take  Miss  France  long 
to  discover  that  Otho  had  not  come  back  to  her  as  he  went. 
As  the  evening  progressed  it  became  more  and  more  evi- 
dent that  he  was  not  at  all  anxious  to  snatch  the  chance 
which  she  had  thought  herself  so  eager  to  offer.  He 
would  dance  with  her,  talk  to  her — he  was  excited,  merry, 
charming — but  he  was  not  tender;  he  did  not  try  to  gaze 
into  her  eyes ;  he  seemed,  if  anything,  a  little  distrait. 

Camiola  was  soon  able  to  discern  the  reason.  Passing 
out  upon  the  terrace,  upon  the  arm  of  one  of  the  von 
Tmberts,  she  saw  Otho  and  Betty  sitting  upon  the  marble 
bench.  There  was  nothing  unbecoming  in  their  attitude, 


THE    MIDNIGHT    BAPTISM        297 

but  it  seemed  to  her  to  indicate  quite  clearly  that  they 
were  lovers.  The  thought  made  her  pulses  tingle.  Was 
this  the  second  man  who  might  have  had  her  and  who 
said,  "jSTo,  thank  you"  ? 

On  the  heels  of  that  thought  came  other  calmer,  far 
more  sensible  reflections.  To  engage  herself  to-night, 
while  still  her  heart  was  sore,  while  still  that  hateful 
madness  held  her,  would  be  a  counsel  of  despair. 

It  was  not  written  in  the  Book  of  Fate  that  she  should 
love  and  mate  here  at  Orenfels,  though  never  had  she 
seen  a  place  so  suited  to  such  things  as  love  and  marriage. 

She  laughed  at  herself.  There  was  plenty  of  time  be- 
fore her.  She  need  not  feel  so  disturbed.  She  had  always 
meant  to  wait  until  she  was  twenty-five  before  falling  in 
love,  and  this  unpleasant  experience  which  she  was  un- 
dergoing was  a  fortunate  thing  in  reality.  It  would  put 
off  her  romance  for  some  time  to  come. 

In  spite  of  all  these  wise  and  sober  reflections,  she  was 
restless  and  miserable,  so  out  of  tune  and  unfit  to  play 
her  part,  that  presently  she  felt  a  few  minutes'  respite 
imperatively  necessary.  Dismissing  her  partner  on  the 
plea  of  the  duties  of  the  hostess,  she  slipped  downstairs  as 
if  to  survey  the  supper  room,  to  which  in  half  an  hour's 
time  the  company  would  resort.  All  was  in  order  and 
looking  charming,  and  she  passed  on  through  the  main 
door  of  entrance  into  the  flagged  courtyard. 

This  was  in  solitude  and  darkness.  No  moon  this  week 
lit  up  the  sky.  The  stars  were  the  only  light.  The  Milky 
Way  lay  like  a  wreath  athwart  the  deep  blue  heavens,  and 
every  now  and  then  a  shooting  star  darted  across  like  a 
falling  diamond. 

Camiola  sat  down  upon  the  lowest  of  the  semi-circular 
steps,  and  leaned  her  chin  on  her  hand.  She  strove  to  get 
a  firm  grip  upon  herself.  There  was  within  her  so  strange 
a  turmoil  that  she  was  frightened.  She  did  not  know 


298  ACASTLETOLET 

this  undisciplined  person.  Surely  it  was  not  Camiola 
France,  graduate  of  the  University  of  Oxford?  So  she 
argued  with  herself,  yet  nothing  seemed  to  have  power  to 
still  the  insistent  fact  which  was  before  her  mind  all  the 
time. 

"He  is  going  away  to-morrow." 

Suddenly  she  started.  As  she  sat  she  was  facing  the 
chapel  windows  across  the  quadrangle,  and  there  was  a 
light  within. 

Camiola  stared.  Yes,  decidedly,  there  was  a  light — not 
a  bright  one,  but  she  could  see  the  picture  upon  the  stained 
glass.  It  threw  a  little  coloured  shadow  upon  the  paving- 
stones. 

What  could  be  going  on  at  that  hour  in  the  chapel? 
She  rose  swiftly  to  her  feet  and  crossed  the  court.  Softly 
she  laid  a  hand  upon  the  latch  of  the  chapel  door,  and 
it  lifted,  so  noiselessly  that  it  must  have  been  carefully 
oiled.  Pushing  it  open  a  very  little  way,  she  heard  the 
sound  of  a  voice — a  priest's  voice — reciting.  She  slipped 
cautiously  within  and  pushed  the  door  to  behind  her.  The 
entrance  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  chapel,  near  the  west 
end.  Exactly  facing  her  as  she  stood  was  the  font.  Round 
it  were  grouped  a  little  cluster  of  people  in  the  light  of 
one  oil  lamp  hung  upon  the  wall  under  an  old,  dimly 
gilded  ikon. 

The  Popa  stood  by  the  font,  holding  an  infant  in  his 
arms.  Frau  Esler  was  kneeling,  with  her  back  to  Cami- 
ola, and  Esler  beside  her.  On  the  young  man's  other  side 
was  a  girl — an  English  girl,  she  was  certain ;  she  had  too 
slim  a  back  for  it  to  belong  to  the  Ildenthal.  She  wore 
white — a  trailing  white  gown,  and  an  artistic  picture  hat, 
white  also.  Under  it  her  brown  hair  was  visible.  The 
fourth  person,  completing  this  curious  group,  was  Forbes, 
her  own  butler,  who  knelt  awkwardly,  grasping  the  back 


THE    MIDNIGHT    BAPTISM        299 

of  a  chair,  and  wore  an  air  of  feeling  himself  a  fish  out 
of  water. 

Camiola  was  in  dense  shadow  where  she  stood.  There 
was  a  dark-coloured  portiere  across  the  chapel  door  on  the 
inside.  She  drew  it  across  her  sparkling  white  dress,  so 
that  the  priest — whom  she  knew  to  be  very  near-sighted — 
would  not  notice  her  if  he  looked  that  way.  The  others 
all  had  their  backs  turned  to  her. 

She  stood  enthralled  as  the  words  of  the  service  went  on. 
Esler  was  evidently  prompting  Forbes  with  his  replies. 
He  was  apparently  anxious  concerning  the  strength  of  the 
girl  who  knelt  beside  him.  He  leaned  towards  her  with 
wistful  solicitude,  and  once  put  out  his  hand  and  laid  it 
across  her  waist  behind  as  if  to  support  her. 

The  service  was  soon  over,  and  Forbes  scrambled  with 
alacrity  to  his  feet. 

"You'll  excuse  me,  sir,  won't  you  ?"  she  heard  him  say 
to  Esler.  "I  am  all  in  a  fuss  lest  I  should  be  wanted  any 
minute." 

The  girl  spoke  in  a  clear,  soft  voice :  "Yes,  go,  Forbes, 
and  many  thanks."  She  held  out  a  delicate  hand. 

Forbes  took  it,  and  stammered  out :  "I  am  sure  I  wish 
you  joy,  ma'am,  both  you  and  the  gentleman  and  the  dear 
little  baby,  too." 

Camiola  had  waited  to  this  point,  too  devoured  with 
flaming  curiosity  to  reflect.  Xow,  as  the  butler  turned 
ponderously  on  his  heel,  she  slipped  like  a  shadow  behind 
the  portiere  and  let  herself  out  into  the  courtyard. 

Her  head  was  in  such  a  whirl  that  she  felt  she  could 
not  be  seen  and  spoken  to  just  then,  yet  Forbes's  heavy 
tread  was  crossing  the  chapel  floor,  and  he  would  be  out 
upon  her  in  a  moment.  She  glanced  along  the  side  of 
the  quadrangle  which  faced  the  main  building,  the  side 
of  which  the  keep  formed  the  corner.  In  a  flash  she  saw 
that  the  door  of  the  keep  stood  ajar.  She  ran  noiselessly 


300  ACASTLETOLET 

along  the  yard  and  slipped  within  the  welcome  doorway, 
just  as  Forbes  came  out  of  the  chapel,  and,  crossing  the 
yard  with  urgent  haste,  entered  the  castle  hall. 

She  waited ;  the  others  were  following  close  upon  him ; 
she  must  remain  where  she  was  until  they  had  passed  by. 
She  glanced  round  her.  A  dimly  burning  and  evil-smell- 
ing lamp  was  hung  upon  the  wall  of  the  rude  guard-room 
wherein  she  stood.  There  were  no  signs  of  occupation, 
except  for  various  bags  and  bundles,  apparently  contain- 
ing the  bandsmen's  night  apparel,  which  lay  in  a  heap 
upon  the  floor.  She  pushed  the  door  to  and  stood  by  it, 
listening  intently,  heard  a  faint  sound  of  voices,  footsteps 
pattered  on  the  flags,  somebody  went  to  the  little  door  in 
the  big  gateway,  opened  it  with  caution — she  was  so  near 
that  she  could  hear  the  rustle  of  departing  petticoats — 
and  then  a  step  echoed  close  at  hand ;  somebody  was  com- 
ing towards  the  door  behind  which  she  stood. 

Panic  assailed  her.  She  felt  like  a  trapped  spy.  She 
could  not  be  caught  thus,  listening  behind  a  door ! 

Her  eye  flashed  round,  she  saw  the  foot  of  the  cork- 
screw staircase  in  the  corner.  On  noiseless  feet  she  fled 
thither,  and  had  just  run  lightly  up  one  twist  when  she 
heard  the  door  pushed  open,  then  shut  and  barred. 

Somebody  walked  across  the  floor  below. 

She  could  not  possibly  descend;  the  only  thing  to  do 
was  to  go  on  to  the  room  above,  which  she  vaguely  re- 
membered as  communicating  with  the  next.  She  might 
go  along  and  descend  by  a  different  stair.  She  pursued 
her  way,  and  entered  the  upper  room. 

This,  too,  was  lit,  and  she  saw  a  camp  bed,  a  table,  a 
washstancl.  There  was,  however,  no  second  door.  On  the 
table  stood  some  objects  which  caught  her  attention  almost 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  considerations. 

On  a  table  easel  of  well-carved  oak  was  a  picture  frame, 
also  of  carved  oak.  In  this  frame  was  a  sketch  of  her- 


THE    MIDNIGHT    BAPTISM 

self  which  Irmgard,  who  drew  very  well,  had  made  in  the 
garden  some  days  back  and  discarded  as  "not  good 
enough." 

Camiola,  at  the  time,  thought  it  good.  Now,  in  its  en- 
casing oak,  it  looked  even  better  than  she  had  supposed 
it  to  be.  On  either  side  of  it  burned  a  tall  candle,  such 
as  was  used  in  the  chapel.  Before  it  was  a  vase  containing 
La  France  roses. 


THE  WILD   SWANS 

TAKEN  in  conjunction  with  the  scene  she  had  just  wit- 
nessed below  in  the  chapel,  this  seemed  to  Camiola  little 
short  of  an  outrage.  Her  eyes  flashed  with  fury,  she 
stretched  her  hand  to  snatch  the  picture  from  its  shrine 
and  fling  it  out  of  the  window.  Then  a  sound  from  below 
struck  on  her  ear,  and  she  realised  her  own  plight.  To 
get  out  of  this  place  was  what  she  had  to  do — to  disappear 
unseen  from  what  was  evidently  the  emergency  quarters 
of  Esler  for  the  night. 

Creeping  to  the  head  of  the  stair,  she  listened.  Noth- 
ing stirred  below.  She  stood  there,  hardly  daring  to 
breathe,  wondering  what  would  happen  next.  After  a 
long  minute  she  heard  the  person  below  walk  deliberately 
across  the  floor,  open  the  door,  go  out,  and  shut  it  after 
him.  The  revulsion  of  feeling  was  acute.  She  was  saved. 
She  had  only  to  wait  a  moment,  and  then  make  a  dash.  It 
was  almost  time  for  supper  to  be  announced,  and  she  must 
be  present  to  take  the  arm  of  the  old  Graf  von  Orenfels, 
who  was  the  sole  member  of  the  family,  except  Otho,  to 
accept  her  invitation. 

First,  however,  she  would  gratify  her  rage.  She 
snatched  the  portrait,  laid  it  on  the  ground,  stamped  upon 
it  with  the  heel  of  her  white  suede  slipper,  stooped, 
dragged  the  paper  from  beneath  the  broken  glass,  and 
tore  the  sketch  into  tiny  fragments.  Then  she  gathered 
up  her  glittering  draperies  and  stole  softly  down  the  stair. 

302 


THE    WILD    SWANS  303 

Slowly  she  rounded  the  lowest  curve  of  the  corkscrew, 
and  stood  transfixed,  facing  Esler,  who,  with  arms  folded, 
was  leaning  against  the  barred  door. 

For  one  instant  she  felt  inclined  to  act  like  a  fishwife — 
to  run  to  him  and  strike  him  on  the  face.  In  the  next  she 
was  the  great  lady,  and,  drawing  herself  up  to  her  full 
height,  she  said  in  German: 

"I  was  looking  round  to  see  what  accommodation  they 
have  made  for  the  band.  I  think  I  have  come  in  at  the 
wrong  door." 

He  answered  in  English:  "You  are  mistress  here.  I 
suppose  it  is  your  right  to  go  in  and  out  of  all  doors  in 
this  castle  as  you  please." 

"Certainly,"  she  continued,  with  flashing  eyes,  still 
speaking  German;  "if  I  see  a  light  in  the  chapel,  I  may 
enter  to  find  out  what  can  possibly  be  going  on  there  in 
the  midst  of  my  party." 

His  face  altered,  he  looked  conscious. 

"As  you  said  the  other  day,  the  private  affairs  of  my 
servants  are  no  concern  of  mine,"  she  went  on.  "I  am 
no  eavesdropper,  but  I  do  consider  I  have  a  right  to  over- 
look the  carrying  out  of  my  orders." 

He  said  nothing. 

"Let  me  out,  please,"  she  commanded,  coming  a  step 
into  the  room. 

He  gazed  upon  her  with  a  curious  expression.  In  that 
dim,  rough  place  she  looked  like  a  vision.  Pride  and 
outraged  dignity  glowed  in  her  like  a  flame.  Her  head, 
crowned  with  a  small  tiara  of  diamonds,  was  held  proudly. 
He  gazed  as  a  man  before  being  led  to  execution  may 
gaze  upon  all  he  holds  dearest. 

"I  have  been  hoping — trying  for  one  word  with  you," 
he  pleaded  chokingly,  "for  the  last  three  days.     I — I— 
shall  not  be  here  to  vex  you  after  to-morrow,  and  there  is 
something  rather  important  I  wanted  you  to  know." 


304  ACASTLETOLET 

As  she  advanced  to  the  door,  with  cold  refusal  in  every 
line  of  her,  he  dropped  his  voice  to  a  note  that  made  her 
tremble  inwardly. 

"Ah,  let  me  tell  you!"  he  implored. 

She  laid  her  hand  upon  the  bar.  "Let  this  down  at 
once." 

He  raised  his  hand  and  laid  it  beside  hers.  "I  went 
to  the  Gaura  Draculuj  on  Saturday,"  he  almost  whispered. 

The  change  in  her  face,  the  involuntary  look  of  atten- 
tion she  gave  him  encouraged  him  to  go  on. 

"The  water,"  he  continued,  "has  found  a  way  some- 
where down  below,  but  it  is  escaping  very  slowly.  On 
Saturday  it  was  about  three  inches  below  the  mouth  of 
the  chasm.  It  is  still  so  hot  that  you  can  only  just  bear 
your  hand  in  it.  But — the  point — the  thing  I  want  you 
to  know  is  that  the  explosion  threw  up  a  lot  of  things." 

For  an  instant  she  forgot  her  raging  animosity. 
"Things  ?  Remains  of  them,  do  you  mean  ?" 

He  assented.  They  were  both  speaking  English  now. 
"I  want  you  to  see  them,"  he  added  almost  inaudibly. 

"Where  are  they  ?" 

"In  the  garden  cave.  I  have  made  a  list,  and  I  should 
like  to  hand  it  over  to  you,  before  I  go,  so  that  you  will 
have  every  detail  of  the  affair  in  your  own  hands  when 
you  make  your  discovery  public." 

In  spite  of  her  passion,  she  had  a  moment's  wonder  at 
his  generosity.  He  had  laboured  for  many  months  upon 
this  question.  Had  it  not  been  for  his  work  and  his  pre- 
cautions, the  truth  could  never  have  been  ascertained. 
Here  he  laid  it  all  in  her  hands — laid  down  every  preten- 
sion, went  away,  and  left  her  to  reap  the  credit,  the  pub- 
licity of  the  discovery. 

"How  can  I  go  there,"  she  faltered,  "to-night  ?  I  shall 
not  be  in  bed  till  dawn,  and  I  am  not  sleeping  in  my  own 


THEWILDSWANS  305 

"To-morrow  night,"  he  muttered,  so  low  that  she  could 
hardly  hear  him.  lie  kept  his  eyes  lowered,  fixed  upon 
their  two  hands  resting  upon  the  bar. 

Camiola''s  head  swam.  Her  first  impulse  was  to  say 
"Xo."  She  argued  with  herself,  however. 

Ostensibly  this  man  was  her  servant,  and  he  had  proved 
himself  a  first-rate  one.  He  was  leaving  her  service,  and 
they  had,  together,  carried  out  a  search  which  had  proved 
highly  successful.  He  felt,  and  she  thought  him  right  in 
feeling,  that  she  ought  to  allow  him  to  lay  all  the  threads 
in  her  hands  before  his  departure. 

She  told  herself  that  throughout  their  intercourse  he 
had  not  said  one  disrespectful  word,  had  not  done  the 
slightest  thing  which  could  justify  displeasure  on  her 
part. 

She  was  eager  to  see  the  grim  tokens  which  the  Black 
Dragon  had  disgorged  in  his  wrath.  She  hesitated,  wa- 
vered ;  she  could  see  how  he  waited  for  her  decision ;  but 
he  would  not  plead.  He  stood  there,  preserving  the  cor- 
rect attitude  as  it  were  by  main  force, 

"I  will  come,"  she  whispered,  with  a  little  sound  like 
a  sob. 

He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  began  to  lift  the  bar  from 
before  the  door.  "You  are  always  good,"  he  said,  in  a 
low  voice,  "and  it  cannot  hurt  you.  You  are  young, 
rich,  beautiful;  you  have  everything  you  want;  you  will 
not  regret."  He  checked  himself,  coughed,  and  added: 
"It  will  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  you  all  your  life 
that  you  have  cleared  away  the  cloud  of  terror  from  the 
Ildenthal.  Next  year  they  will  perhaps  reopen  the 
Tvurhaus." 

As  he  spoke  the  sound  of  the  horn  came  to  their  ears, 
clearly,  across  the  quadrangle.  "I  must  run,"  cried  Cami- 
ola,  and  as  she  spoke  he  set  the  door  wide  and  she  darted 


306  ACASTLETOLET 

out,  flew  swiftly  across  the  flags,  and  up  the  steps  into 
the  hall. 

Forbes,  standing  just  within  the  door,  most  correct, 
looked  relieved  on  seeing  her.  "You  are  waited  for,  miss," 
he  told  her  anxiously.  She  hastened  upstairs  to  the  gal- 
lery, where  all  the  couples  were  assembled.  With  a  few 
words  of  laughing  excuse,  she  took  the  old  Graf's  arm, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  all  descending  the  oak 
stairs,  and  filing  into  the  hall,  where  the  supper  table  was 
spread  in  the  form  of  a  big  T,  Camiola  being  seated  at 
the  crossing  point. 

The  band,  leaving  the  dancing  hall,  filed  into  the  musi- 
cians' gallery,  and  accompanied  the  meal  with  beautifully 
subdued  music. 

"It  is  like  the  olden  days  come  to  life  once  more !"  cried 
the  old  Graf,  looking  with  eager  eyes  upon  Otho. 

Otho  avoided  the  avuncular  glance.  Betty  was  his 
partner,  and  he  was  sitting  by  her.  Camiola's  glance 
wandered  from  this  couple  to  another.  Neville  and  Inn- 
gard  were  also  together,  and  Irmgard's  face  was  alight 
with  happiness. 

The  mistress  of  the  castle  felt  old  and  cold. 

She  was,  however,  determined  that  her  own  lack  of 
spirits  should  not  affect  her  guests.  She  roused  herself 
to  be  exceptionally  merry,  and  the  banquet  passed  off  most 
successfully.  Everybody  seemed  pleased.  With  Irm- 
gard's help  she  had  been  able  to  settle  all  the  minutise  of 
precedence.  Everybody  had  his  or  her  proper  place  at 
table,  and  their  national  etiquette  had  been  consulted 
wherever  possible. 

From  all  her  guests  she  had  the  most  gratifying  atten- 
tion, and  she  could  congratulate  herself  upon  a  popularity 
quite  surprising  for  one  of  her  race.  Yet,  ah,  how  she 
ached  for  something  raore  than  this! 


THE    WILD    SWANS  307 

As  the  end  of  the  programme  approached  Conrad  ran 
up  to  her. 

"  'Miola,  darling,  you  are  going  to  have  the  usual  thing 
for  the  two  last  dances?"  he  pleaded. 

She  looked  puzzled.    "The  usual  thing  ?    What  is  that  ?" 

"Having  in  all  the  servants  and  we  dance  with  them?" 

"Why,  that  is  a  fine  idea;  but  I  knew  nothing  of  it! 
The  servants  won't  be  expecting  it ;  they  won't  be  ready  or 
prepared." 

''Won't  they  just!  I  told  them  it  was  all  right!  I 
mean,  I  said  I  knew  it  would  be  all  right,  because  you 
wanted  it  all  to  be  done  in  proper  Ildenthal  style.  So 
they  are  waiting,  all  of  a  twitter,  and  the  bandsmen  know 
the  thing  to  play  to  summon  them  all  in !" 

"Conrad,  this  is  delightful!"  cried  Camiola.  "But 
why  have  you  kept  it  dark  until  now?  Do  the  others 
know  ?" 

"Not  the  English,  I  expect,  except,  perhaps,  Uncle 
Arnold ;  he  seems  to  know  most  things  about  us !" 

Miss  France  flew  down  the  room  and  poured  out-^he 
idea  to  Mizpah  and  Betty,  who  agreed  that  it  was  most 
entertaining. 

The  signal  was  duly  given  to  the  band,  and  they  at 
once  struck  up  a  curious  kind  of  air,  like  the  "Ranz  des 
Vaches." 

Upon  the  sound  the  doors  at  the  lower  end  of  the  gallery 
opened,  and  Forbes  entered  with  Frau  Esler,  resplendent 
in  the  native  costume,  upon  his  arm.  Esler  followed,  also 
in  his  native  dress,  with  Marston.  Behind  them  the  house 
servants,  two  and  two,  then  the  hired  waiters  and  other 
retainers.  Each  couple  walked  up  to  Camiola,  curtseyed, 
and  passed  on.  It  was  like  a  scene  in  a  play,  and  the 
English  found  it  very  delightful.  Then  the  band  struck 
up  a  national  dance  air,  and  Conrad  and  the  other  gentle- 
men of  the  house-party  hastened  to  find  partners. 


308  ACASTLETOLET 

This  was  evidently  not  a  matter  of  choice,  precedence 
being  strictly  observed.  Forbes,  with  shamefaced  aspect, 
admitted  that  he  was  no  dancer,  and  that  Miss  Purdon 
had  promised  to  sit  out  with  him ;  but  Frau  Esler,  with 
Arnold  Bassett,  skimmed  along  like  a  bird. 

Etiquette  demanded  that  Camiola  should  dance  with 
Esler. 

As  he  came  up  to  beg  the  favour  of  her  hand,  she  was 
half  tempted  to  believe  that  the  whole  episode  of  the 
chapel,  the  existence  of  his  wife  and  child,  her  own  inter- 
view with  him,  were  alike  dreams,  the  figment  of  her 
imagination. 

They  were  dancing  together.  In  very  few  steps  she 
knew  that  this  was  a  partner  such  as  she  had  not  had  dur- 
ing the  whole  evening.  She  felt  as  though  floating  out 
from  real  life  into  the  realms  of  fancy.  They  did  not 
speak,  but  she  knew  that  something  in  him  responded  to 
every  breath  she  drew.  Their  very  pulses  seemed  to  beat 
in  unison  or  harmony. 

On  and  on  they  went.  Each  knew  that  only  the  ceasing 
of  the  music  could  make  them  pause.  As  long  as  this 
could  last,  it  must  last.  The  pleasure  was  so  intense  it 
might  almost  have  b^en  described  as  rapture. 

When  at  last  the  band  drew  out  its  final,  lingering 
chords,  they  stood  together  before  one  of  the  widely  opened 
windows  looking  on  the  terrace.  Camiola  leaned  upon 
the  sill,  watching  the  twinkling  lights  of  the  town  punc- 
turing the  velvet  darkness  beneath. 

"The  first  night  that  I  passed  in  Ildestadt,"  she  said 
dreamily,  "I  looked  out  of  my  window  at  the  Blaue 
Vb'gel,  and  saw  a  light  burn  here  in  the  tower.  Why,  that 
must  have  been  in  the  room  at  the  end  of  the  passage  up 
there  above — your  wife's  room." 

He  made  no  reply  at  all.    He  leaned  against  the  case- 


THEWILDSWANS  309 

ment  with  folded  arms  and  lowered  eyes.  His  expression 
did  not  change. 

Camiola  did  not  speak  again,  and  after  a  long  pause  he 
asked  a  question: 

"Did  you  ever  read  Hans  Andersen's  story  of  the  Wild 
Swans  ?" 

"I  think  so— yes.     Why  ?" 

"Do  you  remember  the  princess  who  could  not  deliver 
her  brothers  unless  she  kept  a  complete  silence  ?" 

"Yes." 

"It's  rather  a  pathetic  story,  I  think,  don't  you  ?" 

"Yes." 

"When  you  are  thinking  extra  bad  things  of  me,  will 
you  remember  it  ?"  he  asked,  raising  his  eyes  to  her  face. 

She  flashed  a  look  at  him,  but  dared  not  prolong  it.  At 
the  moment  Bassett  came  up  to  them. 

"Xow,  Esler,"  said  he  good-humouredly,  "coach  me  on 
this  matter.  With  whom  must  I  dance  next  ?" 

He  spoke  German,  of  course,  and  Esler,  with  a  bow 
to  his  late  partner,  went  off  with  him  at  once. 

Camiola  was  left  for  one  long,  surprising  moment  by 
herself.  She  no  longer  felt  old  and  cold.  In  her  blood 
was  the  fire  of  the  dance,  the  pulsating  excitement  of  feet 
that  moved  in  concert — and  the  thought  of  the  princess 
in  the  story,  weaving  coats  of  nettles,  hurting  her  hands, 
bruising  her  delicate  fingers,  silent  in  face  of  calumny,  all 
for  the  sake  of  rescuing  those  she  loved. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

THE  SECRET  INTERVIEW 

CAMIOLA  turned  from  her  farewells,  from  seeing  off 
the  last  of  her  guests,  stepped  back  through  the  little  door 
in  the  big  gate,  and  crossed  the  sunny  courtyard  with  her 
arm  round  Conrad's  neck.  As  they  entered  the  dining- 
hall,  Marston  met  them,  with  a  face  so  white  that  Camiola 
was  frightened. 

"If  you  please,  miss,  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  at  once," 
she  gasped,  in  a  voice  which  shook  either  with  rage  or 
terror,  her  mistress  was  not  clear  which. 

"Come,  then,  up  into  the  drawing-room,"  said  Camiola, 
wondering  what  could  possibly  be  the  matter. 

The  drawing-room  was  vacant,  the  party  being  most  of 
them  strolling  outside  the  front  entrance,  saying  their 
good-byes,  and  enjoying  the  sunshine. 

"Now,  Marston,  my  dear  soul,  out  with  it.  What  is 
the  matter  ?" 

"The  matter  is,  miss,  that  I  have  seen  a  ghost." 

Camiola  started,  then  laughed.  "Why,  Marston,  the 
wonder  to  me  seems  not  that  somebody  has  at  last  seen  a 
ghost,  but  that  nobody  has  seen  one  before.  But  tell  me 
about  it." 

Marston  was  in  a  state  of  such  nervous  tension  that  the 
very  suggestion  of  flippancy  was  too  much  for.  She  burst 
into  tears,  and  Camiola,  seeing  how  completely  in  earnest 
she  was,  became  serious  at  once,  and  soon  coaxed  her  into 
relating  the  story. 

"You  see,  miss,  I  was  waiting  to  get  into  my  room  this 

310 


THE    SECRET    INTERVIEW       311 

morning — as  you  know  one  of  the  young  gentlemen  had  it 
last  night.  The  reason  was  that  I  had  got  all  your  dia- 
monds in  a  hand-bag,  and  though  the  people  hereabouts 
seem  very  honest,  still  there  were  a  good  many  strange 
waiters  and  such  up  at  the  castle  last  night,  and  one  can't 
be  too  careful.  I  wanted  to  slip  into  my  own  room  the  mo- 
ment it  was  left  vacant  and  lock  the  bag  up  in  the  wall 
cupboard  there. 

"We  had  breakfast  late  in  the  hall  this  morning,  not 
until  most  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  down,  and 
I  stole  up,  before  our  breakfast  was  over,  leaving  every- 
body else  at  table,  and  hastened  to  my  room.  As  you 
know,  miss,  my  door  is  just  facing  yours,  and  as  I  went 
into  my  room  I  thought  I  heard  somebody  moving  in 
yours.  That  surprised  me,  because  everybody  was  down- 
stairs so  far  as  I  knew.  Certainly  none  of  the  housemaids 
could  be  there.  So  I  pushed  the  door  of  my  room  almost 
shut,  and  peeped  out. 

"I  heard  a  soft  rustling  noise,  and  three  people  were 
coming  along  the  passage  from  the  door  that  opens  on  the 
gallery.  They  were  coming  towards  me,  and  I  saw  them 
all  three  quite  distinctly.  One  was  a  woman  in  the  cos- 
tume these  folks  wear  hereabouts.  She  carried  a  little 
infant  in  her  arms.  The  other  was  a  lady  of  the  most  un- 
earthly beauty."  Marston  paused,  and  her  eyes  rolled 
with  the  combined  effect  of  memory  and  imagination. 
"She  wore  a  white  dress,  and  a  hat  such  as  you  see  in  old 
pictures,  miss!  I  noticed  that  she  glided  more  than 
walked.  Her  eyes  were  fixed  in  a  kind  of  terror,  and  as 
the  sunlight  fell  across  the  gallery  I  could  see  that  her 
draperies  was,  as  you  may  say,  kind  of  transparent.  The 
three  went  straight  into  your  room  for  all  the  world  as  if 
it  belonged  to  them.  I  was  so  taken  aback  that  for  a  long 
time,  or  what  seemed  a  long  time,  I  could  not  move.  But 
as  soon  as  I  had  collected  my  thoughts  a  little,  I  stepped 


312  ACASTLETOLET 

boldly  out  into  the  passage  and  followed  them.  I  knew 
they  was  strangers  and  had  no  right  in  the  house,  and  I 
knew  it  was  my  duty  to  ask  their  business.  One  does  not 
realise,  miss,  all  in  a  minute  that  you  have  seen  something 
that  is  not  of  this  earth.  Well,  miss,  I  walked  in  as  bold 
as  you  please,  and  nobody  was  there." 

"Nobody  was  there?" 

u!NTo,  miss.  Your  room  was  empty.  Of  course,  thinks 
I,  they  have  gone  through  into  Miss  Purdon's  room ;  and 
then,  all  of  a  sudden,  I  remembered." 

"You  remembered  what  ?" 

"I  remembered  that  when  we  were  turning  out  of  our 
rooms  for  the  visitors,  Miss  Purdon  locked  the  door  be- 
tween your  room  and  hers  and  gave  the  key  to  me.  It  was 
in  my  pocket  at  the  moment.  Of  course,  I  tried  the  door 
to  make  sure.  It  was  locked  right  enough,  and  if  anybody 
had  locked  and  unlocked  it  I  must  have  heard  them,  for 
it  is  a  noisy  affair.  I  looked  under  the  bed  and  behind 
the  window  curtains.  Of  course,  there  was  nothing,  and 
then  I  knew  I  had  seen  a  ghost" 

This  piece  of  news  vexed  Camiola.  She  did  not  at  all 
wish  Marston  to  go  about  saying  that  the  house  was  haunt- 
ed, but,  on  the  other  hand,  she  was  most  unwilling  to 
reveal  the  secret  of  the  way  out  of  her  room.  Moreover, 
if  she  did  explain,  if  she  did  say  that  the  individuals  seen 
were  friends  of  Frau  Esler  and  had  gone  out  by  the  secret 
way  to  the  garden,  then  what  reason  for  such  secrecy 
could  she  give?  Why  should  not  Frau  Esler's  niece  go 
out  by  the  ordinary  methods  of  exit  ? 

She  tried  the  cowardly  expedient  of  persuading  Mar- 
ston that  her  senses  had  deceived  her — that  some  trick  of 
sunlight  and  shadow  had  produced  the  unlikely  little 
group  of  fugitives.  Marston  was  naturally  very  indig- 
nant. She  said  she  had  not  been  five  years  with  Miss 
France  to  have  her  word  disbelieved,  and  that  she  should 


THE    SECRET    INTERVIEW       313 

go  to  Miss  Purdon  and  lay  the  matter  before  her.  In 
broad  daylight,  at  breakfast  time,  how  could  she  possibly 
have  imagined  two  women  and  a  baby? 

Camiola,  driven  to  bay,  said  she  had  reason  to  believe 
that  there  was  a  baby  in  the  house — some  relation  of  Frau 
Esler's — she  had  not  thought  it  her  business.  This  made 
it  so  much  more  unlikely  that  the  persons  in  question  could 
disappear  from  view  that  Marston  grew  suddenly  suspi- 
cious. Something,  she  could  hardly  tell  what,  made  her 
apprehensive.  Camiola  was  concealing  something,  she 
felt  sure.  With  some  abruptness  she  suddenly  concluded 
the  interview,  saying  she  supposed  she  must  have  been 
dreaming,  and  went  off,  as  Camiola  well  knew,  to  find 
?,iri^  Purdon. 

}.Iiss  France  felt  annoyed.  Esler  was  reckless.  Xo 
doubt  it  was  a  stroke  of  genius  to  have  his  child  baptised 
at  a  moment  when  the  attention  of  everybody  in  the  house 
was  distracted  from  his  proceedings.  !N"o  doubt  the  chances 
of  the  women's  reaching  the  secret  door  unseen  while  the 
whole  household  was  at  breakfast  was  a  very  good  one — 
but  with  so  many  people  about  such  risks  could  not  be 
run  with  safety.  In  both  cases  the  persons  who  so  myste- 
riously seemed  to  desire  to  remain  hidden  had  been  seen. 

She  was  not  left  very  long  to  consider  the  matter,  for 
Irmgard  was  heard  calling  to  her;  and,  upon  Camiola's 
replying,  burst  eagerly  in  to  tell  her  of  her  engagement 
to  Xeville.  The  girl  was  in  such  a  state  of  bliss,  mingled 
with  anxiety  as  to  what  her  father  might  say,  that  Cami- 
ola's whole  attention  was  engrossed. 

She  did  not  think  that  Irmgard  would  receive  a  very 
effusive  welcome  from  the  Thurlow  family,  and  deter- 
mined that  she  herself  must  do  all  she  could  to  atone  for 
their  possible  shortcomings.  To  have  Irmgard  married 
to  a  relation  of  her  own  was  a  delightful  thing.  She  be- 


314  ACASTLETOLET 

gan  to  suppose  that  there  must  be  qualities  in  Neville 
which  nobody,  so  far,  had  discovered. 

The  news  could  not  be  made  public  until  Seville  had 
received  an  answer  to  the  letter  he  was  at  this  moment 
composing  to  the  General. 

Camiola  gave  all  the  love  and  sympathy  which  could 
possibly  be  demanded  of  her ;  and  this  interview  was  only 
brought  to  an  end  by  the  appearance  of  Otho  and  Conrad, 
with  demands  that  the  promised  expedition  to  the  Gaura 
Draculuj  should  be  deferred  no  longer,  but  should  take 
place  upon  the  morrow. 

Camiola  had  been  prepared  for  this  request,  and,  in 
face  of  what  Esler  had  told  her,  was  ready  with  her  an- 
swer. He  had  intimated  that  the  cave  might  now  be 
entered  in  safety,  and  Camiola's  brain  held  glittering  pic- 
tures of  their  amazement  when  she  should  relate,  with 
much  detail  and  circumstance,  the  adventures  she  had  been 
through  in  that  awe-inspiring  spot. 

Her  ambitions  were,  however,  still  deeply  tinged  with 
the  horror  she  had  experienced  upon  first  realising  the 
ghastly  character  of  the  catastrophe  which  had  overtaken 
the  unfortunates  who  perished  there.  It  seemed  to  her 
that  at  present  she  could  not  face  the  idea  of  visiting  the 
place  without  Esler's  supporting  presence.  Could  she 
persuade  him  to  stay  just  twelve  hours  longer?  She 
thought  that  this  might  be  possible. 

"I  think,"  she  ventured  cautiously,  "that  we  might  go 
to-morrow." 

"Erwald  said  we  could  not  go,"  observed  Conrad  in  an 
injured  tone.  "He  told  me  you  had  left  it  too  late,  be- 
cause Esler  is  going  away,  and  he  declares  he  won't  take 
us  without  him.  He  says  we  are  too  large  a  party  for  one 
guide." 

"That  is  true,"  said  Camiola,  "we  shall  have  to  arrange 


THE    SECRET    INTERVIEW       315 

for  more  guides,  and  the  men  are  shy  of  the  Gaura 
Draculuj." 

''Is  it  really  true  that  Esler  is  leaving?"  cried  Conrad 
dolefully.  "Why  didn't  we  go  before  he  left  ?" 

"That  was  Captain  von  Courland's  fault,"  replied  Cam- 
iola  mischievously.  "He  made  us  promise  not  to  go  with- 
out him." 

"It's  just  the  one  place  I  want  to  see  most,"  persisted 
Conrad,  "and  if  you  thought  it  likely  that  it  would  not 
come  off,  I  think  you  might  have  warned  us,  'Miola.  Did 
you  know  Esler  was  leaving?" 

"Yes,  I  knew,"  she  admitted,  feeling  her  cheeks  grow 
warm.  "But  I  was  thinking  about  the  party,  you  know. 
I  had  forgotten  the  Gaura  Draculuj  for  the  time.  Never 
mind,  Con,  if  it  can  anyhow  be  arranged  you  shall  go,  I 
promise  you,  old  man." 

Xotliing  at  all  was  to  be  seen  of  Esler  throughout  that 
day,  though  Conrad  went  about  hunting  for  him.  Frau 
Esler  said  he  had  been  obliged  to  go  down  to  Ildestadt 
to  superintend  the  departure  of  the  band,  but  Camiola 
guessed  that  it  was  another  departure  which  had  occupied 
him.  She  felt  a  most  unreasonable  satisfaction  in  the 
thought  that  his  wife  had  left  the  house.  Why  she  had 
gone  before  him  she  could  not  guess,  but  she  felt  certain 
that  Marston  had  witnessed  her  secret  departure.  The 
two  rooms  upstairs  would  perhaps  now  be  left  unlocked. 
She  felt  as  inquisitive  as  Bluebeard's  wife  in  her  desire 
to  go  and  look  into  them.  They  had  gone,  and  to-morrow 
Esler  would  follow  them.  The  whole  of  this  tiresome  epi- 
sode would  be  over.  She  would  be  glad — glad! 

The  story  of  the  Wild  Swans  recurred  to  her  mind  many 
times.  When  would  the  coats  of  nettles  be  finished  ? 

It  was  with  a  distracted  attention  and  a  heavy  heart 
that  she  went  about  the  business  of  entertaining  her  guests. 
Everybody  was  tired  and  "after-the-partyish,"  and  the  day 


316 

was  not  very  satisfactory.  Otho  and  Betty  went  strolling 
in  the  woods  and  got  lost,  returning  late,  with  embarrassed 
apologies ;  and  the  other  pair  of  lovers  were  so  openly  ab- 
sorbed in  one  another  that,  as  Conrad  remarked,  "a  stuffed 
Teddy-bear  could  have  guessed  their  secret." 

Mizpah  felt  sorry  for  Camiola.  It  had  dawned  upon 
her  that,  whatever  might  be  Miss  France's  intentions, 
Otho's  had  changed  completely.  The  danger  of  seeing 
the  heiress  betrothed  to  an  obscure  and  needy  foreign  noble 
was  apparently  over. 

To  the  hostess's  satisfaction,  everybody  was  ready  for 
bed  very  early.  Even  Conrad  wondered  whether  a  party 
was  really  worth  the  "beastly  slackness"  you  felt  next 
day.  Camiola  was  so  guiltily  sensible  of  her  own  unwis- 
dom in  having  promised  to  meet  Esler  that  night,  that 
she  could  think  of  nothing  else.  Whatever  happened,  she 
meant,  however,  to  keep  her  appointment. 

Marston  undressed  her  in  a  very  unpleasant  frame  of 
mind.  Camiola  bore  it  meekly.  Miss  Purdon  had  lis- 
tened to  what  the  maid  had  to  say  with  a  very  doubtful 
mind.  She  could  not  quite  believe  in  the  ghost  ladies,  and 
she  was  puzzled.  But  both  Marston  and  she  were  fully 
determined  to  keep  a  watch  that  night. 

Left  to  herself,  and  having  allowed  an  interval  for  peo- 
ple to  go  to  sleep,  Camiola  arose.  For  the  sake  of  speed, 
she  put  on  a  tea-gown,  and  wrapped  herself  in  a  cloak. 

When  she  descended  the  spiral,  by  the  light  of  her 
torch,  she  saw  Esler,  seated  on  the  rough  table,  with  a  good 
lamp  burning. 

As  he  rose  and  stood  awaiting  her,  she  saw  that  he  was 
wearing  the  ordinary  clothes  of  an  English  gentleman — a 
summer  lounge  suit.  This  gave  her  a  little  shock  of  sur- 
prise, which  was  apparently  partly  shared  by  the  young 
man,  who  had  always  hitherto  seen  her,  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, in  her  mountaineering  dress. 


THE    SECRET    INTERVIEW       317 

"This  is  to  be  a  strictly  business  interview,"  said  Cami- 
ola  coldly. 

"On  my  part,  it  is  to  be  a  confession,"  he  replied  quietly. 
"I  have  found  out  that  I  am  not  strong  enough  to  leave 
you  finally  without  telling  you  the  truth.  \Yill  you  give 
me  leave  to  do  it  ?" 

He  had  placed  a  stool  for  her — there  were  no  chairs — 
and  ho  stood  before  her,  awaiting  her  permission.  The 
colour  came  to  her  face,  for  she  had  not  expected  this. 
After  a  short  hesitation:  "I  have  no  wish  to  force  your 
confidence,"  she  said  uncomfortably.  "You  have  been 
silent  so  long — and  now  you  are  going — had  you  not  bet- 
ter keep  silent  still?" 

"Yes,  I  had  better,  but  I  can't,"  he  answered  bluntly. 
"Confession  is  the  only  sort  of  relief  I  may  hope  for.  In 
all  probability  I  shall  never  see  you  again.  Let  me  have 
at  least  the  comfort  of  knowing  that  you  do  not  think  worse 
of  me  than  the  facts  warrant." 

She  flushed  suddenly.  "Are  the  coats  of  nettles  fin* 
ished  ?"  she  cried  eagerly. 

"All  but  one  sleeve,"  he  answered,  with  a  fleeting  smile. 
Then  he  hurried  on  impetuously : 

"You  are  the  very  soul  of  honour — like  your  namesake 
in  the  old  play — Camiola,  the  Lady  of  Honour!  You 
have  said  nothing  to  anybody  of  all  the  things  you  have 
found  out.  I  know  that  you  will  say  nothing  of  what  I 
tell  you  unless  you  deem  it  right  and  wise.  I  can  trust 
you — as  once  you  said  you  trusted  me — God  bless  you! 
Now  listen.  My  mother  was  Roumanian.  She  married 
an  Englishman,  and  they  were  very  poor.  They  strug- 
gled, however,  to  give  a  good  education  to  me  and  my  only 
sister.  I  went  into  the  navy.  My  father  died  when  I  was 
a  boy,  my  mother  ten  years  later.  My  sister,  Clare,  be- 
came a  resident  governess.  She  was  very  pretty — far  too 
pretty  for  such  a  life.  An  elderly  man  visited  at  the 


318  ACASTLETOLET 

house  where  she  taught.  He  fell  in  love  with  her,  and 
she,  poor  child,  was  tempted  by  the  desire  of  a  home,  and 
happiness — of  being  loved,  of  having  some  place  to  which 
I  could  come,  some  means  of  helping  me.  Well !  I  was 
away  in  the  Mediterranean  when  it  happened.  I  never 
saw  the  man,  or  I  should  have  tried  to  stop  her.  He  was 
not  a  good  man,  and  he  was  not  even  kind  to  her.  Having 
married  her,  an  orphan,  without  means,  without  friends, 
he  thought  he  had  got  her  into  his  power,  and  could  bully 
her  as  he  pleased. 

"She  bore  it  for  a  time,  but  he  grew  rapidly  worse.  At 
last  I  came  home,  and  if  you  will  believe  me,  we  had  to 
meet  clandestinely,  he  would  not  have  me  to  his  house. 
Of  course,  I  found  out  what  a  life  she  led.  Then  she  told 
me  all.  She  had  just  discovered  that  she  was  to  have  a 
child,  and  she  was  in  terror  lest  his  cruelty,  the  agonising 
tension  of  nerves  at  which  she  lived,  might  injure  her 
baby.  She  wanted  to  get  away,  at  least  for  a  time — at 
least  until  the  child  was  born.  I  made  a  plan.  I  thought 
of  Frau  Esler.  She  was  my  mother's  foster-sister.  Once, 
when  we  were  children,  and  my  mother  was  in  poor 
health,  my  father  sent  us  here,  and  we  were  twelve  months 
with  the  Eslers,  nobody  knowing  who  we  were.  Later — at 
the  time  of  my  father's  death — my  mother  came  here  with 
us  both.  I  had  three  months7  furlough,  and  we  spent  it 
here.  It  was  then  that  I  began  to  investigate  the  mystery 
of  the  Gaura  Draculuj.  Frau  Esler  loves  Clare,  and  I 
felt  that,  if  I  could  get  her  here,  she  would  be  safe ;  so  we 
escaped  together,  and  her  husband  did  not,  I  think,  know 
that  I  had  anything  to  do  with  her  flight. 

<rWe  got  here  in,  December,  just  before  the  heavy  snow 
fell ;  and  all  went  well,  until " 

He  paused  there.  Suddenly  Camiola  raised  her  brim- 
ming eyes.  She  said  only  two  words — "Your  sister?" 

He  nodded  silently. 


THE    SECRET    INTERVIEW        319 

"I  had  to  save  her,"  he  said,  almost  roughly.  "I  sup- 
pose I  have  been  a  fool.  I  think  so  now.  I  have  thrown 
up  my  career — left  myself  without  even  the  poor  pros- 
pects my  profession  afforded.  But,  at  least,  I  have  saved 
Clare  and  the  child." 

He  was  sitting  on  the  wheelbarrow,  and  his  hands  and 
arms  rested  on  the  table.  She  leaned  forward,  grasping 
his  hands  in  hers,  holding  them  tight. 

"Don't!"  said  Esler  imploringly.  "This  is  a  strictly 
business  interview.  I  was  not  making  a  bid  for  your 
sympathy — only  just  telling  you  the  truth." 

"It  has  been  hard  for  you,"  she  said  tremulously. 

"Hard  ?"  He  laughed,  sprang  to  his  feet,  almost  flung 
off  the  caressing  touch  of  her  hands.  "It's  over  now,"  he 
said,  "or  very  nearly.  Come,  I  had  better  show  you  the 
things  I  have  found  in  the  cave." 

Camiola  rose  to  her  feet.  Her  head  was  swimming. 
She  tried  to  face  the  moment  calmly.  Should  she  allow 
this  man  to  bid  her  adieu  and  go  away,  out  of  her  life 
forever?  Or  should  she  bid  him  stay?  Love  and  pride 
struggled  in  her.  It  seemed  as  though  he  settled  the  ques- 
tion for  her,  so  business-like  was  his  attitude  and  manner 
as  he  brought  forward  a  tray,  with  objects  upon  it,  cov- 
ered with  a  cloth. 

"Hush !"  whispered  Camiola  suddenly.  "Did  you  hear 
something  ?" 

Both  listened,  and  both  heard  sounds.  "I  believe  I  left 
the  door  open  in  my  room,"  she  gasped.  "Somebody  is 
coming  down."  A  light  now  became  visible,  rounding  the 
corner  of  the  stair.  A  moment  later,  Miss  Purdon,  in 
her  dressing-gown  with  a  bedroom  candle,  appeared  in  the 
cave. 

"Is  that  you?  How  you  startled  me!"  said  Camiola 
briskly.  "I  am  making  an  inventory  of  Esler'e  scientific 
discoveries.  He  is  going  away  to-morrow,  you  know." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

GRAVE   SUSPICIONS 

ABNOLD  BASSETT  had  dressed  in  a  hurry,  and  nearly  an 
hour  before  his  usual  time.  These  circumstances  com- 
bined to  flurry  him,  even  without  the  mysterious  and 
urgent  message  sent  to  him  by  Miss  Purdon,  that  he 
should  come  down  and  interview  her  in  the  garden. 

When  he  appeared,  he  found  the  lady  pacing  to  and 
fro  upon  the  flagged  terrace  with  haggard  face. 

They  sat  down  together  in  the  covered  pergola  where 
often  tea  was  served,  and  he  asked,  with,  real  anxiety, 
what  was  the  matter. 

"It  is  Camiola,"  faltered  the  poor  lady,  with  every 
symptom  of  disorder.  "I  have  been  blind,  indeed.  I  am 
in  a  state  of  mind  which  I  can  hardly  describe  to  you.  She 
seems  to  have  been  carrying  on  a  course  of  deceit  and 
duplicity  ever  since  we  came  to  this  detestable  spot — and 
I  have  known  nothing  of  it.  And  the  awful  part  of  it  is, 
that  I  can  do  nothing.  If  I  remonstrate  with  her,  what  is 
there  to  prevent  her  from  dismissing  me,  and  hiring  a 
companion  who  will  be  more  complaisant?" 

She  ceased  from  sheer  lack  of  breath,  and  Bassett,  in 
horror,  begged  for  a  detailed  account  of  what  Camiola 
had  been  doing. 

"It  is  some  time  ago  now — I  really  forget  exactly  how 
long — that  Marston  showed  me  a  suit  of  Camiola's  clothes 
— mountain  clothes — in  a  most  frightful  state.  They  had 
apparently  been  wet  through,  and  dragged  through  the 
mire;  they  were  stuffed  away,  as  if  to  hide  them,  in  a 

320 


GRAVE    SUSPICIONS  321 

corner  of  her  wardrobe,  and  Marston  only  found  them 
accidentally.  She  told  me  she  was  certain  that  Camiola 
went  out — at  night — in  secret,  for  the  clothes  had  been 
tidy  and  brushed  and  put  away  the  previous  evening.  .  .  . 
Well,  you  know  Marston  sleeps  just  across  the  passage, 
and  she  is  a  light  sleeper.  So  am  I.  We  determined  to 
be  on  the  watch,  and  to  make  sure  if  the  girl  left  her  room 
during  the  night.  During  several  nights  not  a  sound  did 
we  hear,  and  I  was  beginning  to  think  it  was  all  nonsense, 
when  Marston  had  a  curious  experience."  She  then  re- 
lated Marston's  ghost  story — how  she  had  seen  three  peo- 
ple enter  Camiola's  room  who  did  not  emerge  again.  "This 
put  an  idea  into  Marston's  head.  She  became  certain  that 
the  girl  had  a  way  of  leaving  her  room  without  coming  out 
into  the  passage  at  all.  She  determined  to  find  out,  so 
she  invented  an  errand — an  excuse  to  go  into  her  mis- 
tress's room,  late  last  night.  She  knocked  at  the  door 
about  half-past  twelve.  There  was  no  answer.  She  went 
in,  and  Camiola  was  not  there.  Looking  round  in  per- 
plexity, she  suddenly  saw  that  a  panel  in  the  wall  was 
open.  That  was  enough.  She  called  me.  I  took  a  candle, 
saw  that  stairs  led  down  from  the  secret  door,  descended 
them,  and  found " 

"Yes — yes — you  found  ?" 

"I  found  Camiola  sitting  in  a  cave — an  underground 
cave — in  the  company  of — of  the  young  gardener — Esler." 

"Good  Heavens !"  Bassett  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  in  his 
turn  began  to  pace  the  terrace.  "Thurlow  and  I  have  been 
to  blame — greatly  to  blame,"  he  said,  at  last,  in  tones  of 
bitter  self-reproach.  "General  Maldovan  gave  Thurlow 
a  hint,  when  he  first  came  here,  that  that  fellow  was  not 
to  be  trusted.  We  thought  it  best  to  say  nothing  to  Cam- 
iola, but  I  see  now  that  there  was  one  person  we  ought 
to  have  told,  and  that  was  yourself!" 

"Oh,  Mr.  Bassett,  indeed  I  think  you  ought !    What  is 


ACASTLETOLET 

to  be  done  ?  She  told  me  some  story  of  their  having  made 
scientific  discoveries  together.  She  said  she  was  going  to 
tell  you  all  about  it  this  morning.  The  young  man,  it 
appears,  is  leaving  to-day.  I  cut  her  very  short,  saying 
that  I  thought  she  could  not  know  how  late  it  was,  and 
she  came  up  to  bed  quite  meekly.  I  had  a  bit  of  a  scene 
with  her  upstairs.  She  would  tell  me  nothing.  All  I 
could  obtain  was  a  promise  that  she  would  not  go  down 
again  to  the  cave  that  night.  The  last  thing  she  said  to 
him  was:  'Please  do  not  leave  until  I  have  seen  you 
again,'  and  he  said  he  would  not.  I  should  tell  you  that 
he  was  wearing  the  kind  of  suit  that  you  might  wear  your- 
self. He  was  not  dressed  as  he  usually  is." 

"Was  his  manner  disrespectful?" 

"Oh,  dear,  no,  quite  deferential." 

"Well,"  said  Bassett,  "the  first  thing  we  must  do  after 
breakfast  is  to  warn  Camiola,  and  I  am  sorry  we  did  not 
do  it  sooner.  She  is  a  good  girl  on  the  whole,  and  I  expect 
she  has  been  nothing  worse  than  indiscreet.  It  is  a  pity, 
but  if  the  fellow  is  going,  and  nobody  but  you  and  myself 
know  of  her  secret  meetings,  let  us  hope  there  may  be  no 
great  harm  done.  As  to  you,  Miss  Purdon,  you  must  be 
altogether  acquitted  of  blame.  Any  that  there  may  be  lies 
between  Xeville  and  myself." 

Miss  Purdon,  much  consoled  by  this  speech,  was  going 
on  to  say  more,  when  out  from  the  house  door,  which 
opened  upon  the  terrace,  came  ISTeville  Thurlow,  with  a 
letter  in  his  hand,  and  upon  his  face  an  expression  of 
most  unusual  excitement. 

"Bassett,  here  is  an  astonishing  thing,"  said  he.  "Do 
you  remember  that  I  am  on  the  hunt  for  the  missing  wife 
of  a  client  of  mine  named  Cooper?  Well,  this  morning 
I  went  down  the  hill  to  meet  the  Brieftriiger,  as  I  wanted 
him  to  take  down  some  telegrams  with  him  to  Ildestadt 
for  dispatch.  He  handed  me  the  morning  batch  of  letters, 


GRAVE    SUSPICIONS  323 

and  I  brought  them  up  in  my  hand.  Look  here!"  He 
held  out  a  letter,  which  was  addressed  to  Mrs.  Cooper,  at 
a  street  in  Hermannstadt,  the  name  and  address  being 
both  scratched  out  and  the  envelope  readdressed  to  Frau 
Esler,  at  Schloss  Orenfels. 

The  three  looked  at  one  another.  Bassett  felt  a  surge 
of  rage  rise  up  beneath  his  peaceable  British  waistcoat. 
In  the  light  of  what  he  had  just  heard,  the  stories  of  the 
concealed  woman  at  Orenfels  took  on  a  sharp  significance. 
And  this  was  the  young  man  with  whom  his  noble,  his 
darling  Camiola  was  associating  at  night  in  secret. 

"Good  Heavens,  Thurlow,  this  is  monstrous !"  he  burst 
out.  "We  have  behaved  like  fools,  like  idiots !  We  ought 
to  have  bundled  out  that  chap  the  moment  we  heard  these 
rumours." 

They  sat  down  together,  and  talked  the  thing  out.  Cami- 
ola must,  of  course,  know  all.  There  seemed,  however, 
very  little  else  that  they  could  do,  except  telegraph  for 
Mr.  Cooper  to  come  over  and  confront  the  man  who  had 
stolen  his  young  wife  from  him. 

When  the  party  assembled  for  breakfast,  Camiola 
looked  so  radiant,  so  dignified,  so  splendid,  as  Bassett  said 
to  himself,  that  it  was  hard  to  imagine  her  having  been 
silly  enough  to  indulge  in  a  foolish  flirtation  with  a 
peasant. 

So  fearless  was  her  manner,  so  direct  her  glance,  so 
spontaneous  her  laughter,  that  the  K.C.  felt  uncomfortable 
at  the  bare  idea  of  having  to  confess  to  her  that  her  young 
protege  was  a  double-dealer,  a  fraud. 

It  was  quite  humbly  that  he  asked  her  if  she  would  come 
upstairs  to  the  drawing-room  and  talk  to  himself,  Seville, 
and  Miss  Purdon. 

She  assented  readily  and  simply ;  and  went  before  them 
up  the  oak  stair  with  springing  step  and  care-free  aspect. 

"Now,"  said  she.     "Shall  I  guess  what  you  want  to 


A    CASTLE    TO    LET 

say  to  me?  Mispah  surprised  my  secret  last  night,  and 
so  I  have  not  quite  such  a  chance  as  I  hoped  for  to  make 
a  staggering  revelation  to  you  all.  However,  I  must  do 
my  best.  You  all  three  know  that  I  love  adventure,  don't 
you  ?  Well,  I  have  to  confess  that,  during  my  stay  here 
I  have  been  having  a  glorious  adventure,  and  the  results 
are  now  ready  to  be  communicated,  not  to  you  three  only, 
but  to  the  whole  party,  especially  Captain  von  Courland." 

Bassett  hesitated.  It  seemed  to  him  then  quite  a  pity 
not  to  leave  the  girl  in  her  innocence.  Obviously  she  had 
no  idea  of  Esler's  shady  character.  She  was  full  of  a 
wholly  different  subject. 

He  looked  uncomfortably  at  Seville,  but  Neville  saw 
the  matter  from  his  own  standpoint.  He  had  made  a  dis- 
covery, and  he  wanted  his  client  to  have  the  whole  benefit 
of  it/ 

"Camiola,"  he  said,  "we  are  very  ready  to  hear  of  your 
adventure,  but  we  wish,  for  your  own  sake,  that  you  had 
not  kept  it  secret — for  a  reason  which  perhaps  we  ought 
to  have  communicated  to  you." 

"Indeed  ?    What  was  that  ?" 

"General  Maldovan  told  me,"  said  Seville  rather 
nervously,  "some  time  ago,  that  young  Esler  had  a  bad 
name  in  Ildestadt;  in  short,  that  he  was  suspected  of 
keeping  a — a  companion — a  lady — up  here  at  the  Schloss." 

"Well,  if  Esler  is  married,  it  is  hardly  our  business,  is 
it?"  asked  Camiola,  with  a  little  laugh.  "I  have  been 
using  him  as  a  guide,  and  he  is  an  excellent  one.  I  do  not 
consider  his  domestic  affairs  to  be  my  concern." 

Neville  coloured.  "I  am  afraid  that,  strange  as  you 
may  think  it,  your  servant's  love  affairs  are  my  concern," 
he  said  obstinately.  "Do  you  remember  my  mentioning 
to  you  a  client  of  mine,  called  Cooper,  who  was  looking 
for  his  missing  wife  ?" 

"Why,  yes!"  cried  Camiola,  with  a  start  of  memory, 


GRAVE    SUSPICIONS  325 

"that  had  slipped  from  my  mind;  but,  of  course,  I  do." 

Xeville  rose,  and  handed  her  the  letter  he  had  inter- 
cepted that  morning.  She  held  the  envelope  in  her  hand, 
gazing  upon  it. 

"You  think,  I  gather,"  said  she  quietly,  "that  the  Eslers 
are  protecting  this  poor  lady,  and  that  this  is  the  root  of 
the  stories  about  the  young  man  which  are  being  circulated 
in  the  town  ?" 

Xeville  was  silent.  He  glanced  at  Bassett  as  though  to 
say  it  was  his  turn.  Camiola's  innocence  was  baffling. 

"Well,  that  may  be  so,  of  course,"  remarked  Bassett 
reflectively. 

"You  can  hardly  be  suggesting,"  said  Camiola  with  a 
curl  of  her  lip,  "that  Mrs.  Cooper,  whom  I  take  to  be  an 
English  lady,  of  some  social  position,  would  run  away  with 
an  Ildenthaler  peasant  lad,  who  speaks  no  English." 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  think,"  said  Xeville  stiffly. 

"But  you  consider  it  your  duty  to  your  client  to  take 
advantage  of  this  letter  which  you  have  accidentally  seen, 
and  to  hand  the  poor  thing  over  to  her  tyrant  ?" 

"Poor  thing,  and  tyrant!"  said  Bassett  sharply.  "Is 
that  the  way  the  relations  between  a  runaway  wife  and 
her  husband  strike  you,  Camiola?" 

"Why,  I  heard  Xeville  describe  his  client  as  a  most  dis- 
agreeable person,  a  man  any  wife  would  run  from  if  she 
could,"  was  the  reply.  "I  am  reminded  somehow  of 
Pompilia,  in  'The  Ring  and  the  Book.'  Perhaps  Esler 
has  played  the  part  of  Caponsacchi.  We  know  what  half 
Rome  said  about  that." 

Xeville  felt  distinctly  annoyed.  He  had  no  answer 
ready. 

"This  seems  to  you  very  important,  does  it?"  asked 
Camiola.  "Because  if  you  think  it  might  wait  a  few 
hours,  I  do  want  to  tell  you  all  about  my  discovery.  I 
thought  you  would  all  be  so  excited  to  hear  that  I  have 


326  ACASTLETOLET 

actually  seen  the  Black  Dragon,  and  found  out  what  be- 
came of  the  tourists,  and  very  nearly  lost  my  life  in  the 
process,  only  Esler  saved  me.  This  is  sober  fact  that  I 
am  telling  you.  He  saved  my  life  at  the  risk  of  his  own, 
by  a  feat  of  daring  which,  when  you  see  that  place,  you 
will  say  was  almost  superhuman.  I  own  that,  in  view 
of  what  I  owe  him,  I  am  inclined  to  shield  him  to  the  best 
of  my  power.  He  is  a  brave  man,  and  I  am  very  loath 
to  believe  that  he  can  be  base." 

"It  is,  of  course,  possible,"  said  Mizpah  tentatively, 
looking  at  Neville,  "that  this  Mrs.  Cooper  may  be  a  kind 
of  boarder  ?  This  place  is  temptingly  remote.  The  Eslers 
may  have  been  persuaded  to  increase  their  income  by  tak- 
ing in  a  guest,  unknown  to  the  Graf  von  Orenfels.  This 
would  naturally  give  rise  to  the  gossip  in  the  town." 

Neville  had  to  own  that  this  was  probable. 

"Will  you  wait  a  few  hours,  Nev.,  before  taking  any 
action?"  suggested  Camiola.  "You  see,  I  promised  Con- 
rad and  Captain  von  Courland,  that  they  should  go  to  the 
Dragon's  Chasm  to-day.  Esler  is  waiting  to  go  with  us 
before  his  own  departure.  When  you  have  seen  and  heard 
all  that  he  and  I  have  to  tell  you,  you  can  question  him. 
I  am  sure  he  will  answer  honestly." 

The  three  looked  at  one  another.  They  all  felt  that 
Camiola's  view  of  the  question  was  the  sensible,  the  proba- 
ble one.  Neville  in  the  new  softness  of  heart  which  his 
own  happy  love-affair  had  engendered  in  him,  was  by  no 
means  anxious  to  hand  over  an  unhappy  wife  to  such  a 
man  as  Cooper.  In  an  interchange  of  glances,  it  could  be 
seen  that  the  other  three  were  willing  to  wait  awhile ;  and 
Camiola  jumped  up  with  glee,  clapping  her  hands. 

"Oh,  you  are  all  so  kind  and  so  nice!"  She  actually 
hugged  Uncle  Arnold.  "Now  I  will  go  and  give  orders. 
We  will  start  off  in  half  an  hour  from  now,  all  the  good 
old  party,  Esler  and  Erwald  included.  Assemble  in  my 


GRAVE    SUSPICIONS 

room  in  half  an  hour's  time,  and  you  will  see  what  you 
will  see!" 

She  flew  out  into  the  corridor,  calling  to  Conrad  and 
Otho.  Her  happy  voice  rang  through  the  old  house  in 
girlish  gaiety. 

"Tut,  tut,"  said  Bassett,  wiping  his  gold-rimmed  pince- 
nez.  "This  is  all  a  mare's  nest.  The  girl  is  right.  Let 
us  forget  it  for  a  time,  and  join  in  her  grand  discovery." 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  DKAGOX-SLAYEE 

IN  Camiola's  room  they  all  assembled,  even  Mizpah, 
with  alpenstock  and  mountaineering  attire.  With  dra- 
matic solemnity  Camiola  flung  open  the  secret  door,  and 
they  all  filed  down  the  winding  stair,  amid  squeaks  of 
utter  joy  from  Conrad.  In  the  gardening  cave  stood 
Esler  and  Erwald,  with  various  lanterns,  including  the 
new  acetylene  lamp.  Reed  had  been  also  invited  to  be 
of  the  party,  that  he  might  learn  the  fate  which  had  over- 
taken his  old  one!  Esler,  needless  to  say,  was  once  more 
clad  in  his  accustomed  habit  as  a  guide. 

It  was  in  the  greatest  trepidation  that  Mizpah  suffered 
herself  to  be  escorted  by  the  K.C.  down  the  tunnel.  When 
they  came  out  of  the  home  cave,  above  the  Trollsbriicke, 
they  were  afraid  she  would  have  to  turn  back,  so  dizzy 
did  the  ravine  and  the  unprotected  path  make  her  feel. 

However,  she  was  coaxed  along,  and  in  due  course  they 
all  found  themselves  at  the  mouth  of  the  outer  cave,  where 
they  waited,  while  the  two  guides  and  Reed  went  in  to 
make  sure  that  the  water  was  down  and  that  it  was  safe 
to  bring  in  the  party. 

At  last  all  was  announced  to  be  ready,  and  they  entered. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  low  passage  leading  to  the  Gaura 
Draculuj,  Mizpah  again  required  much  reassuring,  but 
upon  the  other  girls  all  going  through  without  difficulty. 
she  plucked  up  heart,  and  at  last  entered  the  fatal  spot. 

It  was  brilliantly  lit  to-day,  and  on  one  side  the  guides 
had  rigged  up  a  kind  of  table,  with  boards  and  trestles, 

32S 


THE    DRAGON -SLAYER 

upon  which  lay  exposed  the  relics  of  the  mountain  tragedy. 

Three  or  four  skulls,  none  of  them  perfect ;  the  remains 
of  a  camera ;  an  object  which  had  once  been  a  pocket  flask ; 
a  battered  silver  cigar  case;  the  ribs  of  two  umbrellas; 
and  a  whole  collection  of  smaller  bones,  bits  of  metal,  and 
matted  fibrous  remains  of  fabric. 

There  they  lay;  all  that  the  Black  Dragon  had  spued 
from  his  terrible  maw  in  his  late  outburst. 

Then,  as  they  all  stood  round,  glancing  at  the  blackr 
dripping  walls,  at  the  chasm,  almost  full  of  water,  upon 
whose  surface  a  light  smoke  still  curled,  Camiola  placed 
herself  in  the  centre,  and  described  the  whole  adventure 
of  herself  and  Esler. 

Bassett  could  hardly  believe  it.  He  took  the  rope,  as- 
cended to  the  first  ledge,  thence  with  the  help  of  the  upper 
rope — Esler  had  replaced  both — to  the  little  shelf  upon 
which  the  motor  lamp  had  been  left.  There  was  now  a 
third  rope,  properly  secured  to  the  tooth  of  rock  upon 
which  Esler  had  fastened  his  frail  life-line  on  that  awful 
night. 

"You  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  went  up  this  with  ^[is? 
France  on  your  back?"  he  demanded  of  the  young  man, 
in  stupefaction. 

"Miss  France  gave  some  help,"  said  Esler  meekly. 
"She  clung  wherever  there  was  any  kind  of  hold ;  and  I 
am  a  sailor,  you  must  remember.  But  I  don't  know  how 
I  did  it.  I  don't  think  I  could  do  it  again." 

"It  was  so  strange,  so  wild,  somehow,"  said  Camiola, 
"to  lie  in  my  own  bed  that  morning  and  have  Marston 
come  in  and  tell  me  the  time,  and  to  think  how  nearly, 
how  very  nearly,  she  had  entered  to  find  my  bed  empty, 
and  in  all  probability  not  even  my  body  would  have  been 
found !  Oh,  you  can't  think  what  it  felt  like !  All  that 
day  I  was  nearly  bursting  into  tears  whenever  I  remem- 
bered it;  and  next  night  I  awoke,  shuddering,  time  after 


S30  ACASTLETOLET 

time,  with  that  black  gulf  underneath  me.  I  wonder  I 
wasn't  ill." 

Conrad  was  not  content  until  the  actual  apparition  of 
the  Black  Dragon  had  been  many  times  detailed.  "How 
simply  fearful !"  he  kept  on  remarking,  with  ever  increas- 
ing relish.  "I  can  imagine  how  the  column  of  black 
water  looked  like  a  huge  neck !  And  that  was  what  poor 
old  Hoffman  saw  and  it  sent  him  off  his  head!" 

"I  don't  wonder.  It  nearly  sent  me  off  mine,"  replied 
Camiola.  "I  sat  like  an  idiot  and  should  have  been  killed 
in  a  few  minutes  if  Esler  had  not  run — if  he  had  not 
seen,  that  very  instant,  that  we  must  go  up  higher.  Had 
he  waited,  even  a  minute  or  two,  we  should  both  have  been 
boiled — think  of  it,  Conrad,  boiled  alive!" 

"Oh,  don't  let  them  stay  here,  it  may  still  be  dangerous," 
pleaded  poor  Mizpah.  "And  this  smell  is  so  horrible,  like 
vaults!  And  the  heat — take  me  out  into  God's  blessed 
daylight!" 

She  was  escorted  forth,  but  had  to  wait  a  long  time 
before  the  curiosity  of  the  others  was  satisfied,  and  they 
joined  her. 

There  ensued  a  great  setting  out  of  lunch,  and  eating 
and  drinking  and  discussing  the  great  discovery.  When 
the  meal  was  nearly  over  Conrad  suddenly  cried  out  that 
he  thought  everybody  should  drink  Esler's  health.  This 
was  enthusiastically  received,  and  they  all  sprang  to  their 
feet,  Seville  and  Bassett  being,  as  Camiola  noted,  as  keen 
as  anybody.  They  gave  tremendous  "Hochs,"  and  the 
young  guide  stood  bareheaded  in  the  sunshine  receiving 
the  ovation  with  his  usual  modesty  and  quiet. 

"ISTow  you  must  make  a  speech,  Esler!"  cried  Conrad, 
when  the  cheering  had  died  down. 

"I  will  not  make  a  speech,"  said  Esler,-  "but  I  will  ask 
you  all  to  drink  to  the  health  of  the  Fraulein  France.  I 
thank  you  humbly  that  you  have  not  given  me  the  blame 


THE    DRAGON -SLAYER  331 

I  justly  deserve  for  having  led  her  into  danger.  That  I 
was  able  to  keep  her  safe  will  always  be  to  me  the  best 
thing  in  my  life.  May  God  keep  her — always,  every- 
where." 

He  held  up  his  glass,  and  Bassett,  raising  his  own  in 
the  sunshine,  repeated  the  toast  in  English :  "Camiola ! 
May  God  keep  her — always,  everywhere!" 

They  stood  round  her  smiling,  cheering  enthusiastical- 
ly; and  suddenly  she  could  not  see  for  the  mist  of  tears. 
She  glanced  up,  smiled,  wavered,  then  said:  "I  can't 
thank  you !  I  want  to  cry,"  and  turned  her  face  against 
Inngard's  shoulder. 

Esler' s  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Otho,  but  Otho  seemed  to 
be  occupied  with  something  which  was  wrong  with  Betty's 
shoe-string. 

After  lunch,  when  they  had  smoked  and  talked,  and 
were  about  to  return  home,  Camiola  went  up  to  Esler  and 
said: 

"Before  you  go,  Mr.  Thurlow  wants  to  speak  to  you. 
He  intercepted  a  letter  this  morning,  and  would  like  to 
know  if  you  can  tell  him  anything  about  it." 

She  spoke  in  German,  quite  formally;  and  with  his 
usual  manner  of  the  respectful  servant  he  rose  and  fol- 
lowed her  to  where  Neville  and  Bassett  were  smoking,  a 
little  apart  from  the  rest. 

"Neville,"  she  said,  "will  you  please  show  Esler  the 
letter  you  found  this  morning?" 

Neville  coloured  a  little  awkwardly,  but  he  produced 
the  letter  and  gave  it  to  the  young  man,  explaining  care- 
fully, with  Camiola's  help  as  translator,  his  reasons  for 
retaining  it  for  a  few  hours. 

Esler  listened,  with  a  half-smile  upon  his  face,  and  when 
Neville  had  finished  he  looked  at  Camiola  with  an  apolo- 
getic air  of  mischief. 


332  ACASTLETOLET 

"Mr.  Thurlow,"  he  said  in  English,  "I  am  glad  to  tell 
you  that  you  have  found  this  letter  nearly  thirty-six  hours 
too  late.  Mrs.  Cooper  is  my  sister.  She  left  this  place 
yesterday  morning,  about  half-past  nine  o'clock,  and  is 
now  out  of  reach.  For  this  reason  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to 
drop  the  role  I  have  been  forced  to  play  during  the  past 
weeks,  and  to  tell  you  that,  if  you  are,  as  I  understand, 
Mr.  Cooper's  accredited  representative,  I,  acting  for  my 
sister,  am  quite  ready  to  explain  to  you  the  terms  upon 
which  she  is  willing  to  return  to  her  husband." 

Neville  started  when  the  young  man  began  to  speak. 
He  recovered  himself  quickly,  however,  and  listened 
quietly. 

"Camiola,"  he  said,  when  Esler  had  finished,  "did  we 
not  tell  you  that  this  young  man  was  not  what  he  seemed  ?" 

"It  is  all  right,  Xev.  I  knew  that  he  is  an  English 
gentleman,"  she  answered  steadily. 

"Upon  my  word,  young  woman,  you  are  a  good  actress 
— did  you  know  this  when  we  spoke  to  you  this  morning?" 
cried  Bassett,  half  amused,  half  angry. 

"Yes,  I  knew.  I  felt  sure  that  everything  would  have 
to  come  out,  as  Xeville  had  found  the  letter ;  but  I  wanted 
you  to  see  for  yourself  what  he  had  done  for  me  before 
hearing  what  he  had  to  say.  I  knew  he  could  clear 
himself." 

"Who  are  you,  Mr.  Masquerader  ?"  asked  Bassett  im- 
patiently, "if  I  may  venture  to  put  the  question  ?" 

"I  am  Eric  AYestonhaugh,"  replied  the  young  man. 
"My  mother  was  sister  to  the  present  Graf  von  Orenfels, 
and  Frau  Esler  is  her  foster  sister.  You  will  ask  why  I 
concealed  my  name?  There  are  several  reasons.  One — 
the  first — is  that  my  mother  had  resented,  so  seriously, 
the  attitude  of  her  family  with  regard  to  her  own  mar- 
riage to  my  father — the  vicar  of  a  small  English  parish — 
that  she  never  allowed  it  to  be  known  that  she  visited  this 


THE    DRAGON -SLAYER  333 

place.  We  did,  however,  visit  Orenfels,  as  I  have  already 
told  Miss  France.  We  came  incognito,  and  were  always 
supposed  to  be  relatives  of  the  Eslers.  This  fact  made 
the  place  an  ideal  spot  in  which  to  hide  when  I  decided,  in 
view  of  my  sister's  shattered  health  and  nerves,  to  take 
her  out  of  her  husband's  reach  until  her  child  was  born. 
You  may  guess  that,  all  having  been  so  admirably  planned 
and  my  sister  recovering  her  health  and  spirits  marvel- 
lously in  this  fine  air,  we  mere  much  taken  aback  at  the 
unwelcome  news  that  the  castle  was  let  for  the  summer. 
Frau  Esler  and  I  made  light  of  it  to  Mrs.  Cooper,  how- 
ever. We  moved  her  into  a — a  part  of  the  house  which 
we  thought  could  not  be  wanted."  For  a  moment  he 
seemed  confused,  and  shot  a  glance  at  Camiola  under  his 
lids.  She  turned  crimson.  "Miss  France,"  he  went  on, 
recovering  himself,  "soon  gained  the  hearts  of  all,  even 
of  my  aunt.  I  began  to  think  that  I  would  own  up  and 
tell  her  everything.  I  hated  playing  a  part  before  her, 
and  I  did  not  like  the  idea  that  anything  should  be  going 
on  here  of  which  she  knew  nothing.  Then  Mr.  Bassett 
and  Mr.  Thurlow  arrived  from  England,  and  on  the  very 
first  evening  of  their  stay,  while  waiting  at  table,  I  heard 
Mr.  Thurlow  say  that  he  was  Mr.  Cooper's  legal  repre- 
sentative. You  will  easily  see  that  after  that  my  lips  were 
sealed.  All  precautions  for  secrecy  had  to  be  redoubled. 
We  said  nothing  of  it  to  my  sister,  whose  health  from  day 
to  day  was  our  one  pre-occupation.  I  determined,  how- 
ever, that  as  soon  as  practicable  after  the  child  was  born,  I 
must  send  her  away.  The  bustle  of  the  party  seemed  to 
give  me  the  chance  I  needed  of  accomplishing  the  removal 
unsuspected;  and  now  there  is  no  longer  any  reason  why 
I  should  make  a  mystery  of  the  affair." 

Arnold  Bassett  had  allowed  his  pipe  to  go  out  in  the  as- 
tonishment of  this  recital.  "Well,"  he  remarked,  with  a 
glance  of  decided  friendliness  towards  the  young  man, 


334  ACASTLETOLET 

"Camiola's  fancy  for  taking  the  castle  was  certainly  a  bit 
of  cruelly  hard  luck  for  you!" 

Eric  looked  at  Camiola.  His  eye  met  hers.  "Yes,"  he 
said.  That  was  all ;  but  his  whole  heart  seemed  to  escape 
in  the  word. 

"And  I  even  invaded  the  garrets,"  she  said,  laughingly, 
nervously,  speaking  for  the  sake  of  saying  something. 
''Poor  Frau  Esler!  How  rude  she  was!  How  she  hated 
me !  How  faithful  she  has  been !  .  .  .  And  we  were  play- 
ing and  picnicking  and  making  demands  upon  your  time, 
when  all  this  was  going  on!  We  ought  to  beg  your  par- 
don, I  think !" 

Xeville  rose.  "I  understand  that  you  consider  your  sister 
to  have  serious  grounds  for  dissatisfaction  against  her 
husband  ?"  he  asked. 

Esler  looked  grim.     "That  is  so,"  he  replied  shortly. 

"You  and  I  must  have  a  serious  business  talk  later  on," 
suggested  Xeville. 

Esler  made  a  restless  movement,  as  of  one  caged.  "I 
am  leaving  the  castle  this  evening,"  he  said.  He  dared 
not  look  up  as  he  said  it. 

Xeville  took  out  a  pocket-book.  "Then  had  I  better 
make  a  note  here  and  now,"  he  said,  "of  the — er — terms 
upon  which  I  think  you  said  Mrs.  Cooper  might  be  in- 
duced to  consider  the  idea  of  reconciliation  ?" 

Eric  hesitated,  then  sat  down.  "'If  you  will  be  so  kind," 
he  murmured. 

"Come,  Camiola,  we  are  de  irop,"  observed  Bassett, 
and,  putting  his  arm  within  that  of  the  girl,  he  drew  her 
away. 

The  peace  of  the  afternoon  brooded  over  the  kitchen  at 
Orenfels. 

It  was  a  big,  bare  room,  beautifully  clean  and  tidy,  and 
the  kitchen-maid,  in  her  picturesque  costume,  was  dishing 


THE    DRAGON- SLAYER  335 

up  tea-cakes  upon  plates  which  stood  ready  upon  the 
snowy  boards  of  the  scrubbed  table. 

In  the  window,  at  a  smaller  table,  sat  Bertha  Esler, 
deep  in  talk  with  old  Johanna,  the  witch-woman  from  the 
Watch  Tower. 

They  were  talking  in  German,  that  the  girl  at  the  table 
might  not  understand  them;  and  as  Camiola  entered  she 
could  not  help  hearing  the  high-pitched,  cracked  voice  of 
the  old  woman,  saying: 

"Thou  art  wrong!    Fate  is  stronger  than  she!" 

Bertha,  as  the  door  opened,  sprang  to  her  feet ;  and  as 
her  eyes  fell  upon  Camiola  her  whole  face  hardened. 
Johanna,  however,  was  very  differently  affected.  She 
gave  a  low  chuckle — "What  did  I  tell  thee?" — and,  lean- 
ing her  withered  chin  on  her  hand,  watched  keenly  and 
silently. 

Camiola,  using  the  few  words  of  Roumanian  which 
she  had  picked  up,  bade  the  girl  run  away ;  and  when  she 
had  left  the  room  she  went  timidly  up  to  Frau  Esler, 
standing  before  her  more  in  the  attitude  of  a  repentant 
child  than  of  the  mistress  of  the  castle. 

"Oh,  Frau  Esler,  I  have  come  to  tell  you — to  try  and 
tell  you — how  sorry  I  am."  ...  So  far  she  got,  and  her 
voice  broke. 

"What  is  this?"  said  Bertha  uncertainly,  her  fierce 
eyes  glooming  upon  the  lowered  head  and  downcast  eyes. 

"If  I  had  only  known,"  faltered  Camiola ;  "but  I  did 
not  know  until  last  night — until  Eric  told  me.  I  want 
you  to  forgive  me  for  all  the  anxiety,  all  the  trouble  I 
have  given."  .  .  .  And  again  her  voice  failed,  and  she 
began  to  sob.  Then  she  made  a  step  forward,  her  hands 
were  lifted  impulsively,  and  Bertha,  like  a  woman  acting 
without  her  own  volition,  took  her  in  her  arms.  The  soft 
dark  head  drooped  upon  the  housekeeper's  ample  bosom, 
and  the  elder  woman  muttered  gruffly  but  not  harshly: 


536  ACASTLETOLET 

"Hush,  hush!  Weep  not!  How  could  you  know?  He 
always  said  you  did  not  know." 

Camiola  was  now  crying  heartily.  "Of  course  I  didn't. 
How  could  I?  Oh,  you  might  have  told  me!  You  did 
not  believe  in  me ;  you  thought  I  was  not  to  be  trusted.  .  .  . 
But  now — now  that  I  know  at  last — there  is  only  one 
thing  to  be  done.  I  have  come  to  you  because  I  dare  not 
go  to  him.  I  have  a  message — a  message  for  you  to  give 
him  from  me.  He  must  send  for  Clare!  He  must  tell 
her  to  come  back !  Where  should  she  be  but  in  her  broth- 
er's castle  ?  For  he  is  the  heir,  is  he  not  ?  I  am  only  an 
interloper,  and  I — I  simply  can't  bear  the  thought  that  I 
have  driven  them  out!" 

For  a  minute  there  was  no  sound  in  the  kitchen  but 
that  of  the  two  women's  sobbing.  Old  Johanna  sat  mo- 
tionless, her  eyes  glazed  like  one  who  sees  visions,  a  smile 
of  uttermost  satisfaction  upon  her  twisted  old  mouth. 

"She  says  it,  Bertha,  she  says  it,"  muttered  she;  "and 
as  she  says,  so  must  it  be  done  in  future  in  the  Castle 
of  Yndaia." 

As  she  spoke  the  door  behind  them  opened,  closed  ab- 
ruptly. Camiola  lifted  her  tear-stained  face,  and  there 
stood  Esler,  his  face  flushed,  his  eyes  angry. 

"Bertha,  what  are  you  doing?"  he  cried  sharply,  but 
Frau  Esler  only  folded  her  arms  more  firmly  round  the 
girl,  and  said : 

"She  says  I  am  to  tell  thee,  hot-head,  to  go  and  fetch 
thy  sister  back  again." 

His  face  changed  from  confusion  to  a  joy  so  intense  that 
it  lit  up  his  eyes  as  though  some  one  had  touched  a  switch. 
Then  in  an  instant  he  was  outwardly  calm. 

"Our  lady  is  heavenly  kind,"  he  said  in  his  usual  gen- 
tle, deferential  manner,  coming  forward  so  that  he  could 
lay  down  the  bag  he  carried  upon  the  kitchen  table. 


THE    DRAGON -SLAYER  337 

'•'Well,  then,  what  answer  do  you  make  to  her  kind- 
ness T'  challenged  the  Fran. 

"The  only  possible  answer — that  I  have  already  ac- 
cepted too  mnch  of  it,  and  dare  not  incur  further  debt." 

He  spoke  in  a  voice  of  finality,  and,  turning  abruptly, 
went  up  to  old  Johanna,  who  sat  motionless  by  the  table 
in  the  window,  one  gnarled  hand  resting  on  the  wood,  the 
other  upon  her  knee.  With  eyes  and  ears  wide  open,  she 
was  drinking  in  every  word. 

"Why,  mother,"  he  said  kindly,  "hast  thou  come  up  on 
thy  feet  all  this  way  to  bid  me  God-speed  ?" 

"Xay,  Eric  the  Dragon-slayer,"  answered  she  slowly, 
•''but  to  bid  thee  stay." 

Camiola,  her  tears  checked,  raised  herself  from  Erau 
Eslers  supporting  arms,  and  listened,  breathless.  She 
saw  Eric  start  a  little  but  recover  himself. 

"I  must  go,  mother,"  he  replied  kindly.  "I  have  my 
living  to  get,  out  in  the  hard  world." 

''Thy  place  is  here,"  she  answered  composedly,  "for 
in  thee  all  the  prophecy  of  Ephrosine  is  fulfilled.  The 
blood  of  the  Yajda-Maros  has  mixed  with  alien  blood,  and 
he  who  should  restore  his  line  is  fair  and  brave,  and  hath 
slain  the  dragon.  As  for  her" — the  old  woman  raised  that 
shaking  hand  and  pointed  to  Camiola — "the  first  night 
that  ever  she  laid  her  head  upon  the  pillow  at  the  Blaue 
Yb'gel,  I  whispered  a  dream  into  her  ear,  a  dream  of  the 
Black  Dragon,  to  waken  her  interest  and  hold  her  here 
among  us.  She  stayed !  I  whispered  another  later  on — a 
dream  of  the  secret  rooms — so  that  she  might  find  out  all. 
Ask  her  if  she  took  the  dreams  I  gave  her  from  mine 
hand  ?" 

Camiola  answered  clearly:  "Yes,  mother,  I  had  them 
both.  In  the  first  dream  was  the  dragon,  in  the  second  was 
the  ITerr  Westonhaugh  himself."  She  flushed  brightly  as 
she  said  it,  but  she  held  her  head  high. 


338  ACASTLETOLET 

"Good !  Good !"  cried  the  old  woman,  lifting  both  hands 
in  great  excitement.  "She  accepts  her  fate,  boy !  All  is 
thine!" 

Camiola  had  crept  a  little  nearer ;  as  he  turned  abruptly 
from  the  old  woman's  eagerness,  he  saw  her,  a  few  paces 
from  him. 

"Surely,  Herr  Westonhaugh,"  said  she,  very  sweetly, 
in  English,  "there  is  no  need  to  'hold  out'  any  longer 
now  ?" 

"You  know,"  he  said,  in  the  same  tongue,  chokingly, 
"that  there  is  far  more  need  than  ever  there  was  before. 
Please  go.  The  kitchen  is  no  place  for  you." 

"You — you  must  say  good-bye  to  me  first,"  faltered 
she,  shaping  her  words  with  difficulty.  She  came  a  step 
nearer. 

He  put  his  hands  behind  him  and  backed  a  little  away 
from  her. 

"Miss  France,"  said  he,  "I  should  like  you  to  know  that 
I  wouldn't  give  in  if  you  were  to  offer  me  the  crown  of 
England." 

"Isn't  there,"  she  queried,  "something  that  might  per- 
haps tempt  you  more  than  the  crown  of  England  ?" 

He  had  backed  until  he  reached  the  big  table,  and  so 
could  not  retreat  farther.  He  stood  before  it,  gripping 
its  edge  behind  him  with  his  hands.  She  came  on,  nearer, 
nearer.  Her  two  hands  were  held  out  pleadingly. 

"I  won't!  I  won't!"  said  Eric.  "You  are  behaving 
very  badly,  you  are  pushing  me  into  a  corner !  Besides,  it 
can't  be  true !  Had  you  really  a  dream  about  the  garret 
rooms  ?  Did  I  show  them  to  you  ?" 

"Yes,  yes!    You  did  !" 

"And  were  you" — he  leaned  forward  in  his  eagerness — 
"were  you  wearing  the  old  red  brocade  out  of  the  chest 
upstairs  ?" 


THE    DRAGON-SLAYER  339 

"Oh,  but  how  did  you  know  ?  How  could  you  possibly 
know?" 

"Because  I  dreamed  it,  too!  Johanna  is  a  witch  right 
enough,  whatever  Ephrosine  may  have  been!  She  ought 
to  be  burnt  in  the  Market  Square !" 

"Eric,  the  coats  of  nettles  are  all  made!  There  is  no 
need  for  the  Princess  to  keep  silent  any  more !" 

"Camiola,  that  was  a  princess  and  not  a  prince!  A 
girl  and  not  a  man !  It  is  all  right  when  the  king  marries 
the  beggar  maid.  When  the  other  thing  happens,  you 
know  what  they  call  the  man." 

"Eric,  you  might  be  a  little  sorry  for  me.  I  decided 
to  marry  Otho,  because  I  thought  the  castle  was  his.  Xow 
it  turns  out  to  be  yours,  so  I — I — naturally  I  have  changed 
my  mind." 

She  managed  to  say  it,  but  she  was  crimson,  and  her 
eyes  were  downcast. 

He  drew  in  his  breath  sharply,  and  muttered,  "You 
minx!  Oh,  you  minx!  I  tell  you  I  won't,  I  won't,  I 
won't !" 

"You  mean  it  ?    It  is  your  last  word  ?" 

"It  is." 

"Then  good-bye.  I  leave  the  castle  to-morrow."  She 
turned  away. 

"Frau  Esler,"  said  she  in  German,  "the  young  Herr 
does  not  wish  me  to  remain  longer  in  his  castle.  It  is 
all  over.  I  must  go.  I  have  no  right  here.  Farewell." 

She  turned  away.  He  watched  her  as  she  went  to  the 
door,  across  the  big  room,  without  once  turning  back. 
From  her  post  at  the  window  Johanna  watched  her,  too. 
She  fumbled  at  the  latch,  because  her  eyes  were  dim  with 
tears,  but  she  opened  the  door  at  last,  went  out,  closed  it. 
As  the  sound  reverberated  through  the  old  place,  Eric 
darted  after  her. 

Just  outside  the  passage  was  dark  and  narrow.     He 


340  ACASTLETOLET 

shut  himself  out,  groped,  found  her,  snatched  her,  held 
her,  crying  tenderly.  "Oh,  you  cruel,  cruel  woman! 
Tyrant!  Make  a  man  your  slave,  and  then  trample  on 
him!  I  tell  you  I  can't,  can't  do  it!  How  do  you  sup- 
pose I  can  face  that  Bassett?  He  will  say  it  has  been  a 
put-up  job  from  the  first — that  I  have  plotted  and  planned 
to  trap  you  and  your  money !  There !  I  love  you  !  But 
you  knew  that !  I  am  mad  for  you !  But  you  knew  that ! 
Xow  you  have  heard  me  say  it,  perhaps  you  will  let  me 
go,  let  me  creep  away  with  my  damaged  self-respect  and 
hide  myself,  treasuring  the  scanty  remains  of  my  honour 
on  board  some  merchant  tramp !" 

But  Camiola  locked  one  arm  about  his  strong  young 
neck,  and,  like  the  tyrant  he  called  her,  declined  to  let 
him  go. 

There,  in  the  darkness  of  the  old  passage,  they  clung 
together,  and  his  strength  grew  as  water  in  the  new  tide 
of  sweetness  which  flooded  him. 

"Camiola,  this  is  the  end!" 

"Eric,  this  is  the  beginning.  I  was  never  alive  until 
this  moment." 

"Were  you  not?  Was  it  in  a  moment  of  unconscious- 
ness that  you  went  up  into  my  room,  took  my  one  treas- 
ure, my  poor  little  sketch,  and  tore  it  to  bits?  You  are 
a  fury,  and  I  should  never  manage  you,  I  am  sure." 

"But  even  in  the  cave — in  my  abject  terror — I  did 
what  you  told  me?" 

"Then  do  as  I  tell  you  now.    Let  me  go!" 

"Am  I  holding  you  ?  I  was  under  the  impression  that 
it  was  you  who  had  me  fast !" 

"Because  it  is  for  the  last  time!" 

"Because  it  is  for  the  first  time.  .  .  .  Ah !  .  .  .  When 
did  you  begin  to  love  me,  Eric  ?" 

"The  first  day  you  came  to  look  over  the  castle.  I  went 
out  upon  the  terrace  after  lunch,  and  you  had  fallen  asleep 


THE    DRAGON -SLAYER  341 

on  the  grass.  I  stood  there  and  said  to  myself,  'There  is 
the  girl,  the  one  girl.  I  see  now  what  it  is  that  I  have 
given  up,  to  save  Clare.'  Oh,  Camiola,  what  I  felt  when 
you  presented  me  with  that  tip!  .  .  .  And  all  that  day 
and  all  that  night  I  thought  of  you,  and  said  to  myself, 
'I  shall  never  see  her  again.'  And  the  very  next  morning 
but  one  I  walked  into  the  hall,  and  you  sat  there,  on  the 
table,  and  Otho  was  beside  you." 

"Yes,  yes;  go  on!" 

"That  was  the  end,  and  this  is  the  end  of  the  end.  We 
are  saying  good-bye,  you  and  I." 

"I  am  saying  good-bye  to  my  peasant  guide-boy.  I  am 
giving  greeting  to  the  overlord  of  the  Yndaia." 

In  the  kitchen  the  two  women,  aunt  and  niece,  stood 
gazing  upon  one  another. 

There  was  a  lona  silence.  Old  Johanna  still  sat  with 
wide  eyes,  as  one  in  a  trance.  Bertha  stared  upon  her, 
and  upon  the  sphinx-like  smile  she  wore. 

"How  didst  thou  know  ?"  she  inquired  in  a  low  voice, 
"that  she  was  the  one — the  destined  one?  Thou  sayest 
that  thou  sentest  her  a  dream  upon  the  very  first  night. 
How  couldst  thou  tell?" 

"Behold,"  was  the  dreamy  answer,  "it  is  written,  all  of 
it,  in  the  prophecy  of  Ephrosine,  in  the  last  words  thereof: 
'And  she,  the  bride  of  the  Dragon-slayer,  who  shall  restore 
the  ancient  line,  she  shall  come  from  a  far  country,  and 
shall  enter  into  the  gate  of  the  city,  riding  in  a  carriage 
which  hath  no  horses.'  This  I  saw  with  mine  eyes,  and 
knew  that  the  days  were  fulfilled." 


CHAPTEK  XXXI 

COMING    HOME 

FEOM  end  to  end  of  the  Ildenthal  the  news  went  forth 
of  the  slaying  of  the  dragon. 

From  one  newspaper  to  another  flashed  the  announce- 
ment of  the  discovery  of  the  answer  to  the  riddle  which 
had  puzzled  so  many  for  so  long. 

The  party  at  Orenfels  awoke,  in  quite  a  few  days'  time, 
to  find  an  army  of  photographers  camped  round  about 
their  fortress,  and  the  railway  bringing  in  train-loads  of 
trippers  every  day. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  Ildestadt  would  be  from 
henceforward  the  centre  of  a  tourist  industry  which  must 
result  in  the  reaping  of  a  golden  harvest  for  the  owner  of 
the  land  round  about  the  castle. 

Otho  took  the  discovery  of  his  cousin's  existence  with 
his  characteristic  good  humour.  It  was  not  possible  for 
him  to  be  very  much  cast  down  when  Betty  was  his  prom- 
ised wife.  In  fact,  he  by  no  means  shared  Camiola's 
enthusiasm  for  the  old  castle,  and  was  glad  to  be  free  of 
the  responsibility  of  it. 

Somewhat  to  Camiola's  amusement  the  Thurlow  parents 
were  much  pleased  at  this  engagement.  A  title  was  a 
thing  which  appealed  strongly  to  Mrs.  Thurlow;  and 
although  Otho  would  not  himself  be  Graf  von  OreriiV-ls. 
still  that  imposing  title  was  in  the  family. 

The  poor  old  Graf,  who  had  borne  poverty,  and  the 
final  ruin  which  overtook  him  with  the  failure  of  the 
Kurhaus,  with  such  patience,  now  proved  too  feeble  to 

342 


COMING    HOME  343 

bear  the  sudden  turn  of  the  tide.  His  health  gave  way, 
and  he  was  thankful  to  have  so  competent  and  devoted  a 
nephew  as  Eric  to  direct  his  affairs  and  tell  him  what  to 
do  and  how  to  act. 

Before  Camiola  and  Eric  had  been  six  weeks  engaged, 
it  was  evident  that  the  young  lady  was  by  no  means 
marrying  a  beggar.  Even  if  he  never  became  rich,  still 
he  would  not  be  dependent  upon  his  wife's  bounty ;  and, 
should  the  fame  of  Ildestadt  as  a  health  resort  be  estab- 
lished, he  had  the  game  in  his  own  hands,  since  the  hot 
springs,  the  land,  the  whole  mountain  side,  belonged  to 
his  family,  every  inch  of  it. 

Clare  and  her  babe  were  brought  back  to  the  castle 
with  all  speed;  and  the  boy — Forbes's  godson — became 
the  centre  of  attraction  to  everybody. 

Mr.  Cooper  was,  as  Eric  had  declared  he  would  prove, 
the  kind  of  bully  who,  if  boldly  faced,  will  cringe.  He 
was  really  attached  to  his  beautiful  young  wife,  and  per- 
haps hardly  conscious  of  the  effects  upon  her  of  his  tyran- 
nical unkindnees.  The  news  that  he  had  a  son  and  heir 
affected  him  profoundly.  He  wrote  the  humblest  letters, 
and  agreed  without  demur  to  the  terms  insisted  upon  by 
Eric.  His  wife,  backed  up  by  powerful  friends,  and  the 
sister  of  the  heir  to  a  title,  was  a  different  person  from 
Clare  Westonhaugh,  the  penniless  young  governess  whom 
he  had  thought  to  mould  to  his  despotic  will. 

Camiola  suggested  that  he  should  come  out  to  Ildestadt 
and  fetch  his  wife  and  son  home.  He  accepted  the  invi- 
tation, spent  a  week  at  the  castle,  in  company  with  the 
lively  set  of  young  people  who  were  holiday-making  there ; 
and  behaved  so  well  that  poor  Clare  confided  to  Eric  that 
she  feared  it  was  too  good  to  last. 

"Well,"  replied  Camiola,  as  she  kissed  her  good-bye, 
"you  will  have  your  remedy  now.  Wherever,  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  habitable  globe,  Eric  and  I  may  be,  you  can 


344  ACASTLETOLET 

always  come  to  us  if  Mr.  Cooper  is  tiresome.  He  will 
be  ashamed  to  drive  you  to  that.  He  wants  to  stand  well 
with  us." 

On  the  first  day  of  the  following  June  the  Graf  and 
Grafin  von  Orenfels  arrived  at  their  castle  to  spend  the 
summer. 

The  old  Graf  had  died  during  the  winter,  and  Eric  was 
allowing  his  aunt  and  cousins  to  retain  the  Watch  Tower, 
and  making  them  a  very  comfortable  allowance. 

As  the  car  containing  the  young  couple  swept  through 
the  gates  of  Idlestadt,  the  people  crowding  the  Market 
Square  raised  a  great  cheer.  The  houses  were  wreathed 
with  garlands,  flags  fluttered  everywhere,  and  in  the  centre ' 
of  the  square  rose  a  huge,  gaily  decked  pole,  round  which 
was  curled  an  awful  scaly  monster,  representing  the  BL'fk 
Dragon.  That  evening  all  the  poor  of  the  town  were  to  l>e 
feasted  at  the  invitation  of  the  Graf  and  Grafin,  and 
nobody  had  been  prepared  for  the  demonstrations  of  w:j]- 
come  with  which  they  had  assembled  to  celebrate  the 
home-coming  of  the  two  who  had  turned  the  sleepy  old 
town  into  a  brisk  and  thriving  watering-place. 

Reed  was  covered  with  blushes  as  he  steered  the  car 
through  the  surging  crowds,  preceded  by  the  town  band, 
playing  patriotic  airs. 

There  was  a  grand  luncheon  at  the  Blaue  Vb'gel,  the 
old  aunt,  Cousin  Anna  and  Cousin  Linda  having  been 
invited,  as  also  the  General  and  Irmgard,  soon  to  bcv 
Mrs.  ISTeville  Thurlow. 

Major  and  Mrs.  von  Courland  were  also  present,  v<^-y 
proud  of  the  young  officer's  rapid  promotion,  and  beaming 
with  the  happiness  of  the  newly  married. 

The  talk  turned  chiefly  upon  the  approaching  wedding, 
which  was  to  be  celebrated  with  great  pomp  in  the  huge 
church,  the  whole  Thurlow  family  being  expected  out  in 


COMING    HOME 

a  few  days,  to  be  the  guests  of  Camiola  and  her  husband. 

After  the  meal  a  further  surprise  was  in  preparation. 

The  civic  authorities,  headed  by  the  Hungarian  Ober- 
gespan  and  the  Saxon  Comes,  waited  to  present  an  illumi- 
nated address,  and  a  fine  piece  of  plate,  in  the  shape  of 
a  great  silver  cup  with  the  Orenfels  dragon  curled  about 
its  foot.  The  stem  was  delicately  chased  in  imitation  of 
a  rocky  wall,  with  a  rope  hanging  down  it — the  whole 
design  intended  to  commemorate  the  wild  adventure  by 
which  the  Graf  and  Grafin  had  found  out  the  dreadful 
tnith  and  dispersed  the  gloom  of  mystery  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

It  was  sunset  before  the  young  couple  could  escape  from 
the  gratitude  and  enthusiasm  of  their  tenants. 

They  were  consumed  with  impatience  to  reach  their 
home,  and  as  soon  as  it  could  be  done  without  discourtesy, 
Erwald,  who,  since  the  slaying  of  the  Dragon  had  de- 
veloped a  wide  and  almost  perpetual  smile,  mounted  his 
young  mistress  upon  Jacinth,  and  they  set  out  for  the 
castle,  Eric  on  foot  as  he  loved  to  be. 

Outside  the  Kurhaus  another  little  crowd — this  time 
of  summer  visitors — waited  to  greet  them,  and  to  stare  at 
the  hero  and  heroine  of  such  a  romance.  By  Eric's  advice 
Herr  Neumann  was  renting  the  Kurhaus,  at  a  very  low 
rent  for  this  first  year,  with  a  good  manager  under  him. 

When  the  Kurhaus  was  left  behind,  and  they  found 
themselves  nearing  home,  the  bride  and  bridegroom  grew 
more  silent. 

The  castle  stood  up  hoary  and  grand  in  the  sunlight. 
As  they  appeared  round  the  bend  of  the  road,  the  great 
gates  rolled  back,  disclosing  Frau  Esler,  Forbes,  and  a 
whole  retinue  of  servants  behind  them. 

A  general  air  of  prosperity  clothed  everything,  though 
so  skilfully  had  the  work  of  repair  and  restoration  been 
accomplished,  that  one  could  not  have  pointed  to  anything, 


346  ACASTLETOLET 

and  said:     "This  is  new,"  or,  "This  is  not  in  keeping." 

The  roses  were  just  bursting  into  their  first  bloom, 
and  out  in  the  meadow  where  first  Camiola  saw  Eric 
making  hay,  the  grass  was  long  and  starred  with  alpine 
flowers. 

"How  unwilling  you  were  to  come  and  show  me  over 
the  house !"  laughed  Camiola,  turning  to  her  husband  with 
a  chuckle. 

"That  I  was!  Nobody  ever  came,  and  I  knew  that 
Clare  was  strolling  in  the  garden,  and  would  hate  to  be 
caught !" 

"And  I  thought  you  were  angry  at  having  to  leave 
Rahula's  sweet  society!" 

"Poor  Rahula !  She  was  all  right !  It  was  Lise  Vorst 
who  was  the  trouble!  She  was  always  under  my  feet! 
Did  you  see  Marie's  face  to-day  as  we  drove  into  the 
town  ?" 

They  had  no  time  for  more  reminiscence,  since  they 
were  being  greeted  by  their  household. 

Within  there  were  many  changes.  During  the  winter 
they  had  ransacked  all  kinds  of  places  to  find  things  which 
would  be  "just  right"  for  their  castle.  The  result  was 
charming,  it  surpassed  even  Camiola's  expectations. 

They  had  to  go  over  the  whole  domain,  escorted  by  the 
eager  Frau  Esler.  Then  they  had  to  dress  and  sit  down 
in  state  to  a  banquet,  when  they  felt  as  if  all  they  wanted 
was  to  be  left  together  to  think  over  the  wonder  of  their 
happiness. 

At  last  dessert  was  finished,  and  they  were  free  to  wan- 
der forth,  to  descend  the  steps,  to  sit  upon  the  marble 
bench  beside  the  bowling  green.  Twilight  was  falling, 
the  sky  was  the  colour  of  a  slice  of  melon,  green  melting 
to  apricot.  The  air  was  heavy  with  incense  of  roses,  the 
big  chafers  boomed  as  they  drifted  through  the  balmy 
atmosphere. 


COMING    HOME  347 

"How  wonderful!"  sighed  Camiola. 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  a  good  moment  to  make  a  confes- 
sion," murmured  Eric,  holding  her  close. 

"Confess  away." 

"I  kissed  you." 

"A  good  many  times,  silly!" 

"Ah,  but  once,  before  I  had  any  right  to!" 

"When  was  that?" 

"It  was  here." 

"Here!" 

"The  first  day.  You  were  fast  asleep  on  the  grass. 
Miss  Purdon  was  out  of  sight.  I  thought  I  should  never 
see  you  again,  and  you  were  the  girl  of  my  dreams.  I 
said,  'It  can't  hurt  her,  she  will  never  know.' ' 

"Well,  upon  my  word !     On  my  face  ?" 

"Xo.  I  hadn't  quite  the  impudence  for  that.  I  knelt 
down  and  kissed  your  arm,  a  little  above  the  wrist — just 
here." 

"I  suppose  that  made  me  yours." 

"JoLanna  came  up  the  hill  that  night.  She  was  the 
only  soul,  except  Bertha,  who  knew  who  Clare  and  I  were. 
She  was  sitting  in  the  kitchen  when  I  went  in,  and  she 
said  calmly: 

"  'This  day  you  have  kissed  your  wife  that  will  be.' ' 

"Eric,  she  is  a  witch." 

"We  call  it  clairvoyance  now,"  he  said,  "and  telepathy." 

"I  call  it  something  else,"  she  whispered,  and  added, 
laughing,  "love  at  first  sight." 


THE    END 


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A.  L.  Burt  Company's  Popular  Copyright  Fiction 


Blind  Man's  Eyes,  The.    By  Wm.  MacHarg  &  Edwin  Balmer. 

Bob  Hampton  of  Placer.     By  Randall  Parrish. 

Bob,  Son  of  Battle.     By  Alfred  Ollivant. 

Britton  of  the  Seventh.     By  Cyrus  Townsend  Brady. 

Broad  Highway,  The.     By  Jeffery  Farnol. 

Bronze  Bell,  The.    By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 

Bronze  Eagle,  The.     By  Baroness  Orczy. 

Buck  Peters,  Ranchman.     By  Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Business  of  Life,  The.     By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

By  Right  of  Purchase.     By  Harold  Birvdloss. 

Cabbages  and  Kings.     By  O.  Henry. 

Calling  of  Dan  Matthews,  The.    By  Harold  Bell  Wright 

Cape  Cod  Stories.     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Cap'n  Dan's  Daughter.    By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Cap'n  Eri,     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Cap'n  Warren's  Wards.     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Cardigan.      By  Robert   W.   Chambers. 

Carpet  From  Bagdad,  The.    By  Harold  MacGrath. 

Cease  Firing.     By  Mary  Johnson. 

Chain  of  Evidence,  A.     By  Carolyn  Wells. 

Chief  Legatee,  The.     By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 

Cleek  of  Scotland  Yard.    By  T.  W.  Hanshew. 

Clipped  Wings.     By  Rupert  Hughes. 

Coast  of  Adventure,  The.     By  Harold  Bindloss. 

Colonial  Free  Lance,  A.     By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss. 

Coming  of  Cassidy,  The    By  Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Coming  of  the  Law,  The.    By  Chas.  A.  Seltzer. 

Conquest  of  Canaan,  The.    By  Booth  Tarkington. 

Conspirators,  The.     By  Robt.  W.  Chambers. 

Counsel  for  the  Defense.    By  Leroy  Scott. 

Court  of  Inquiry,  A.    By  Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Crime  Doctor,  The.    By  E.  W.  Hornung 

Crimson  Gardenia,  The,  and  Other  Tales  of  Adventure.    By 

Rex  Beach. 

Cross  Currents.    By  Eleanor  H.  Porter. 
Cry  in  the  Wilderness,  A.    By  Mary  E.  Waller. 
Cynthia  of  the  Minute.    By  Louis  Jos.  Vance. 

Dark  Hollow,  The,    By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 
Dave's  Daughter.    By  Patience  Bevier  Cole. 


Popular  Copyright  Novels 

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A.  L.  Burt  Company's  Popular  Copyright  Fiction 


Day  of  Days,  The.     By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 
Day  of  the  Dog,  The.    By  George  Barr  McCutcheon. 
Depot  Master,  The.     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 
Desired  Woman,  The.     By  Will  N.  Harben. 
Destroying  Angel,  The.    By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 
Dixie  Hart.     By  Will  N.  Harben. 
Double  Traitor,  The.    By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 
Drusilla  With  a  Million.     By  Elizabeth  Cooper. 

Eagle  of  the  Empire,  The.    By  Cyrus  Townsend  Brady. 

El  Dorado.     By  Baroness  Orczy. 

Elusive  Isabel.     By  Jacques  Futrelle. 

Empty  Pockets.     By  Rupert  Hughes. 

Enchanted  Hat,  The.     By  Harold  MacGrath. 

Eye  of  Dread,  The.    By  Payne  Erskine. 

Eves  of  the  World,  The.    By  Harold  Bell  Wright. 

Felix  O'Day.     By  F.  Hopkinson  Smith. 

50-40  or  Fight.     By  Emerson  Hough. 

Fighting  Chance,  The.     By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Financier,  The.     By  Theodore  Dreiser. 

Flamsted  Quarries.     By  Mary  E.  Waller. 

Flying  Mercury,  The.     By  Eleanor  M.  Ingram. 

For  a  Maiden  Brave.    By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss. 

Four  Million,  The,     By  O.  Henry. 

Four  Pool's  Mystery,  The.     By  Jean  Webster. 

Fruitful  Vine,  The.     By  Robert  Hichens. 

Get-Rich-Ouick  Wallingford.    By  George  Randolph  Chester. 

Gilbert  Neal.     By  Will  N.  Harben. 

Girl  From  His  Town,  The.     By  Marie  Van  Vorst. 

Girl  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  A.     By  Payne  Erskine. 

Girl  Who  Lived  in  the  Woods,  The.     By  Marjorie  Benton 

Cook. 

Girl  Who  Won,  The.    By  Beth  Ellis. 
Glory  of  Clementina,  The.     By  Wm.  J.  Locke. 
Glory  of  the  Conquered,  The.    By  Susan  Glaspell. 
God's  Country  and  the  Woman.    By  James  Oliver  Curwood, 
God's  Good  Man.     By  Marie  Corelli. 
Going  Some.    By  Rex  Beach. 
Gold  Bag,  The.     Bj-  Carolyn  Wells. 


Popular  Copyright  Novels 

AT  MODERATE  PRICES 

Ask  Your  Dealer  for  a  Complete  List  of 
A.  L.  Burt  Company's  Popular  Copyright  Fiction 


Golden  Slipper,  The.    By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 

Golden  Web,  The.     By  Anthony  Partridge. 

Gordon  Craig.     By  Randall  Parrish. 

Greater  Love  Hath  No  Man.     By  Frank  L.  Packard. 

Greyfriars  Bobby.     By  Eleanor  Atkinson. 

Guests  of  Hercules,  The.    By  C.  N.  &  A.  M.  Williamson. 

Halcyone.     By  Elinor  Glyn. 

Happy  Island  (Sequel  to  Uncle  William).  By  Jeannette  Lee. 

Havoc.     By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Heart  of  Philura,  The.    By  Florence  Kingsley. 

Heart  of  the  Desert,  The.    By  Honore  Willsie. 

Heart  of  the  Hills,  The.    By  John  Fox,  Jr. 

Heart  of  the  Sunset.     By  Rex  Beach. 

Heart  of  Thunder  Mountain,  The.    By  Elfrid  A.  Bingham. 

Heather-Moon,  The.    By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson  . 

Her  Weight  in  Gold.    By  Geo.  B.  McCutcheon. 

Hidden  Children,  The.     By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Hoosier  Volunteer,  The.    By  Kate  and  Virgil  D.  Boyles. 

Hopalong  Cassidy.    By  Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

How  Leslie  Loved.     By  Anne  Warner. 

Hugh  Wynne,  Free  Quaker.    By  S.  Weir  Mitchell,  M.D. 

Husbands  of  Edith,  The.   By  George  Barr  McCutcheon. 

I  Conquered.     By  Harold  Titus. 

Illustrious  Prince,  The.    By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Idols.    By  William  J.  Locke. 

Indifference  of  Juliet,  The.    By  Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Inez.    (111.  Ed.)    By  Augusta  J.  Evans. 

Infelice.     By  Augusta  Evans  Wilson. 

In  Her  Own  Right.     By  John  Reed  Scott. 

Initials  Only.    By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 

In  Another  Girl's  Shoes,    By  Berta  Ruck. 

Inner  Law,  The.    By  Will  N.  Harben. 

Innocent.     By  Marie  Corelli. 

Insidious  Dr.  Fu-Manchu,  The.     By  Sax  Rohmer. 

In  the  Brooding  Wild.    By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

Intrigues,  The.    By  Harold  Bindloss. 

Iron  Trail,  The,    By  Rex  Beach. 

Iron  Woman,  The.    By  Margaret  Deland, 

JshmaeL    (111.)    By  Mrs.  Southworth. 


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